This is a game the Philadelphia Eagles (8-5) should win despite the disarray state that the offense has been in for the majority of the season. They welcome the Las Vegas Raiders (2-11) to Lincoln Financial Field on Sunday.
The weather forecast is not looking good, and the Eagles struggled in poor weather at home against the Chicago Bears two weeks ago. However, the Raiders play in a dome and are not accustomed to playing in foul weather, which gives Philadelphia a slight advantage.
Here are five key matchups to keep an eye on as the Eagles look to avoid dropping a fourth straight game.
With Lane Johnson ruled out for a fourth-straight week with a Lisfranc sprain, Fred Johnson will step in at right tackle and start again. He draws perhaps the toughest assignment in his career and will have to try to contain Crosby, one of the top pass rushers in the NFL.
Fred Johnson is dealing with an ankle ailment, but confirmed he’s ready to go.
“The ankle is feeling great,” Johnson said.
Crosby, a four-time Pro Bowler, is playing at an elite level, compiling 10 sacks, 18 quarterback hits and 25 tackles for a loss in 13 games this season. He has also forced two fumbles and has an interception—a true definition of a game wrecker.
He also does not come off the field, playing in every single defensive snap in six games this season. Per NextGen Stats, since the Raiders’ Week 8 bye, Crosby has played 98.7% of the defensive snaps, the most by a defensive lineman.
A lot has been made about the fact that during this three-game skid, Brown has put together his best three games of the season, racking up 100 or more receiving yards in each game, averaging 130.3 yards per game to go along with three touchdowns.
Brown will be matched up against Stokes, who has had a solid first season with the Raiders after spending his first four seasons with Green Bay. The cornerback has limited wideouts to just 238 yards on 23 catches in coverage, and of the three corners the Raiders have used this season, Stokes has allowed the lowest completion percentage (56.3%) and fewest yards per target (6.1) in coverage according to NextGen Stats.
One of the biggest disadvantages Stokes has against Brown is the 20-pound difference between the two, favoring Brown and his ability to leverage cornerbacks with inside routes. Brown will look to bounce back after having an uncharacteristic game in the loss to the Chargers, where he dropped three passes.
The Raiders took former Boise State star running back Ashton Jeanty with the sixth overall pick in this year’s draft. A pick that received some skepticism. The rookie running back has been unable to show off his electric athleticism that he did in college, rushing for 100-plus yards just once this season and has failed to reach 75 yards in each of the last three games.
Last week against Denver, he averaged three yards per carry, being held to just 30 yards over 10 touches. On the season, Jeanty has 665 yards, averaging 3.5 yards per attempt, to go along with four scores.
The Eagles’ rush defense ranks 26th in rushing yards allowed, yielding 132 per game this season, but the Raiders have the worst-ranked rushing offense this season. Philadelphia will need to make sure it does not have a repeat performance like it did against the Bears in another cold game and will need to continue to make it tough sledding for Jeanty.
Bowers is by far the Raiders’ best offensive weapon and one of the top tight ends in the league. The 2024 first-round pick paces Las Vegas with his 53 receptions for 619 yards and six touchdowns in just 10 games after missing the entire month of October with a knee injury.
The Eagles might be one of the few teams who have linebackers athletic and talented enough to contain a nightmare mismatch that is Bowers.
On the season, Philadelphia has allowed the fewest yards to opposing tight ends, allowing, on average, just 33 yards receiving to tight ends. Last week, Bowers only had 46 yards on four catches, but did score another touchdown, making it three in the last two games he has found pay dirt.
With the Chip Kelly return to Philadelphia storyline no longer happening with his firing last month, the return of former Eagles’ backup quarterback and local product Kenny Pickett will have to suffice.
The news of Pickett starting with Geno Smith unavailable with shoulder and back injuries, perhaps, is not great for the Eagles. Smith had been struggling quite a bit and Pickett looked solid in relief of Smith against Denver, leading the Raiders to a pair of scoring drives. He completed 8 of his 11 passes for 97 yards and a touchdown.
Last season, he was part of the Super Bowl-winning roster backing up Jalen Hurts. He appeared in five games, making one start, completing 25 of his 42 passes for 291 yards with a pair of touchdowns and an interception.
The Eagles' defense looked strong in the loss to the Chargers on Monday night, holding a much more talented offensive cast to 22 points. Pickett will not be able to rely on the Raiders’ 32nd-ranked rushing attack and outside of Bowers, his weapons include Tre Tucker, rookie Jack Bech and veteran Tyler Lockett.
