Many around the league thought the Las Vegas Raiders would be an afterthought entering the 2023 season, and the beginning of the NFL calendar indicated the assumption could be correct. The Raiders won the opener against the Denver Broncos but dropped three consecutive games.
Las Vegas has turned their season around, winning two of their last three contests, and is on the verge of reaching .500 with a win over the Detroit Lions on Monday Night Football. But the question is, after suffering a back injury, will the Raiders have starting QB Jimmy Garoppolo in this one?
Is Jimmy Garoppolo Playing on Monday Night Football?
Luckily for Las Vegas and the eyeballs of the nation, according to head coach Josh McDaniels, Jimmy G will be the starting QB for the Raiders on Monday Night Football.
Raiders’ QB Jimmy Garoppolo, who missed last week’s game vs. the Bears due to a back injury, will start Monday night, per HC Josh McDaniels.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) October 28, 2023
The Raiders’ offense functions better than many NFL analysts give it credit for. Las Vegas has a pass/run ratio that keeps defenses guessing. If defenses load the box to take away the running stylings of veteran back Josh Jacobs, Garoppolo and the offensive weapons on the outside will make them pay.
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Davante Adams remains one of the top receivers on planet earth and is a nightmare for defensive backs to game plan for. The emergence of Jakobi Meyers has been a revelation. Football fans have been aware of Meyers for quite some time from his Patriots’ playing days, but seeing the veteran thrive alongside Adams has been eye-opening.
Don’t sleep on rookie TE Michael Mayer, either, who has become a fundamental piece of the game plan in recent weeks. With Garoppolo willing to take more chances down the field than he has throughout his career, the Raiders are more explosive than the average NFL pundit would have you believe.
What Are They Saying?
When Garoppolo first suffered the injury to his back, many feared a season-ending diagnosis was incoming. Luckily, he dodged a bullet and will be back under center.
The veteran signal-caller said he “felt good” in his return to practice for Las Vegas.
NFL Network Insider Tom Pelissero reported that the Raiders recently had a team meeting where several players voiced their frustrations to head coach Josh McDaniels. One of the players who spoke was Adams, who has also hinted that he misses previous QBs Aaron Rodgers and Derek Carr, adding fuel to the fire that he could be traded prior to the NFL trade deadline on Tuesday.
“Coach Josh McDaniels, I’m told, opened the floor in a team meeting on Thursday to players, allowing them to voice all the frustrations that at times have bubbled over publicly during the team’s 3-4 start. Guys like Maxx Crosby, Davante Adams, Josh Jacobs all spoke up — but so did players from every area of the roster,” Pelissero said on NFL Network’s The Insiders.
“And nothing from personnel, to scheme, to culture, to coaching was off limits. I’m told that the meeting was considered by players to be very positive, it was cathartic, they got a lot of things off their chest. A chance to bond a little bit and kind of emotionally reset before a big game Monday night against the Lions.”
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