Coming off of its 22-16 overtime win in Denver, the Las Vegas Raiders go back on the road and head to the northwest as they face the Seattle Seahawks at Lumen Field on Sunday.
The Raiders (3-7) are looking to record their first two-game winning streak of the season while the Seahawks (6-4) are coming off of their bye after playing two weeks ago in Germany.
Las Vegas, who is concluding a five-game stretch of four road games, will have to defend at a higher level on Sunday as the Raiders’ defense goes from facing the NFL’s worst offense in 2022 to a top-5 squad this week.
Also read: NFL picks against the spread Week 12
With that in mind, here are four bold predictions for the game between the Las Vegas Raiders and the Seattle Seahawks in Week 12.
Davante Adams records season highs in receptions and TDs
On Sunday, quarterback Derek Carr will once again need to find his pass catchers, led by wide receiver Davante Adams to remain in the win column. Last week, Carr reached 300 passing yards for just the second time this season and Adams totaled nearly half of those yards.
In Week 11, Adams showed it doesn’t matter who is defending him, even if it is Patrick Surtain II, one of the best cornerbacks in the game. The 5-time Pro Bowler recorded seven receptions for 141 yards and two touchdowns, and he has been the hot hand as of late. Scoring five touchdowns in the last three games. Last week, he posted his third game with multiple touchdowns.
So far, Adams’ two best games are similar. In both Weeks 1 and 9, he recorded 10 receptions on 17 targets. To kick off the season, Adams had 141 yards and a touchdown. A few weeks ago, Adams recorded 146 yards and two touchdowns, with most of that production coming in the first half at Jacksonville.
While the Seahawks’ defense has been better of late, look for Adams to go off and post some of his best Raiders numbers yet on Sunday.
Josh Jacobs has another big game in Week 12
The recipe for the Las Vegas Raiders to be in a position to win has been finding success, not only in the passing game with Adams but also in the run game, led by Josh Jacobs. The Raiders running game has an opportunity to continue its momentum this week as they face a Seattle defense that allows 140.9 rushing yards per game, the fifth-highest mark in the NFL.
Jacobs, who is questionable and popped up on the injury report Friday due to a calf ailment, is coming off of a week where he accumulated more than 100 yards on the ground for the fourth time this season.
As of late, Seattle’s run defense has started to leak, as they have allowed triple-digit rushing yards to four running backs this season, including last time out when Tampa Bay’s Rashaad White recorded 105 yards on the ground two weeks ago in Germany.
Assuming he plays, expect Jacobs to have another vintage game — as he’s done several times this season — and run all over the Seattle Seahawks defense on Sunday.
Newcomer Jerry Tillery records his first Raiders sack
The Las Vegas Raiders were able to get the momentum it needed last week on defense, primarily because of defensive end Maxx Crosby, who now has nine sacks on the year.
As the Broncos tried to contain Crosby last week, the Seahawks will do the same leaving some opportunities for others in this Raiders’ defense, such as when cornerback Tyler Hall read the Broncos’ offense and attacked quarterback Russell Wilson for a sack.
One of the newcomers to this defensive line has been former first-round pick Jerry Tillery, who was claimed off waivers a couple of weeks ago. He played 23 snaps last week on defense and got a few snaps on special teams last week. Look for Tillery to make the most of the moment and have a statement game against Seattle
“I think when he walks in the room, he has a presence because he’s 6-foot-5, a big man,” Raiders defensive coordinator Patrick Graham said of Tillery on Tuesday. “Watching the tape, he came in, did some things for us, some positives. Anytime you get an infusion of a good player, it’s a positive.”
Denzel Perryman and the D will surprisingly slow down Seahawks’ dynamic playmakers
The Las Vegas Raiders’ defense is going up against a dynamic receiver duo in the passing game and a running back who is a candidate for NFC Offensive Rookie of the Year.
Seattle running game Kenneth Walker III is nearing 600 rushing yards this season. During the Seahawks’ four-game winning streak, Walker averaged 22 carries and 106 yards, highlighted by a 23-carry, 167-yard performance against the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 7.
The Raiders are 15th in NFL this season in allowing 4.4 yards per carry this season, but the Las Vegas defense has been struggling more in the passing game as they go up DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett, who are both threats to catch short passes and deep bombs.
However, one of the bright spots in the defense last week was linebacker Denzel Perryman, who has gone through a couple of injuries this season. Perryman recorded six tackles and added two tackles for loss last week to be rated the team’s best player, according to Pro Football Focus.
Having the energy that both Perryman and Crosby set on that side of the ball will provide dividends to their teammates on Sunday and lead to a shockingly good performance against a very dangerous Seahawks defense.