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The Rams probably did not circle their trip to Allegiant Stadium as a potential turning point when the schedule came out.
The Raiders were rebuilding. The Rams were chasing a Super Bowl. If anything, this looked like an opportunity for Los Angeles to bank a victory before moving on to more demanding business.
That assumption has aged poorly.
The Rams arrive at 2-4, desperately searching for traction in a season that keeps slipping away. Waiting for them is a 3-3 Raiders team that has been far more competitive than expected, even as three consecutive losses have exposed the distance between making progress and finishing games.
Just ask the Chiefs and Bills how comfortable they felt at Allegiant Stadium. Both escaped with three-point victories, leaving the Raiders frustrated but offering further evidence that overlooking them is a dangerous proposition.
For the Rams, this has become a difficult assignment at a particularly inconvenient time.
Their challenge begins with establishing some consistency. A team carrying championship expectations cannot keep spending stretches of games working against itself, then counting on its talent to rescue the afternoon. The Rams need to sustain drives, protect the football and force the Raiders to chase the game.
Otherwise, they risk giving a hungry opponent exactly what it needs: confidence that another contender is there for the taking.
The Raiders have their own problems to solve. Their running game has yet to provide dependable support, leaving too much of the offensive burden on Kirk Cousins and the passing attack. When drives require a succession of precise throws and third-down conversions, the opportunities for something to go wrong multiply.
Finding even modest consistency on the ground would help. So would turning scoring chances into touchdowns, an area in which the Raiders cannot afford to keep leaving points behind.
Brock Bowers and Michael Mayer give Cousins ways to attack the middle of the field, while Tre Tucker’s speed can stretch the defense. The challenge is making those pieces work together often enough to prevent the Rams from dictating where the ball goes.
Defensively, the Raiders need to balance pressure with discipline. Getting into the backfield means little if the next play produces a chunk gain. Against Puka Nacua, a missed assignment or poor tackling angle can turn a routine completion into a drive-changing play.
The Rams, meanwhile, must resist treating the Raiders’ recent losses as evidence of an easy opponent. Las Vegas responded to its blowout loss to New England by taking Buffalo to the finish. Whatever their limitations, the Raiders have shown they can regroup and compete.
Now they need to prove they can close.
That makes this a meeting of two teams carrying different expectations but facing a similar demand. The Rams need a win to begin repairing a season that has veered sharply off course. The Raiders need one to turn encouraging performances into something more substantial.
Los Angeles still has the talent to make this difficult. But the Rams will have to earn their way out of trouble.
The Raiders are in no position to offer assistance.
MARQUEE MATCHUP: ERIC STOKES VS. PUKA NACUA
The Raiders do not need a reminder of how quickly an explosive pass play can undo otherwise solid defensive work. Nacua presents that threat both before and after the catch, making Stokes’ coverage and tackling equally important.
When the two line up across from each other, Stokes must challenge catches without losing the leverage that keeps a completion from becoming something bigger. Taking away every reception is unrealistic. Limiting the damage is essential.
The Rams can help Nacua with motion and formations that complicate coverage responsibilities. That makes communication between Stokes and the rest of the secondary critical.
For the Raiders, the goal is to make Los Angeles earn its yards in increments rather than allowing Nacua to change the game in one play.
MARQUEE MATCHUP: KOLTON MILLER VS. BYRON YOUNG
Whenever Young lines up across from Miller, the stakes extend beyond a single pass-rush snap. The Raiders need clean pockets to give Cousins time to work through his options and allow deeper routes to develop.
Miller’s ability to handle Young without consistent help would give the offense more flexibility. A tight end who can release into a route instead of staying in protection creates another problem for the Rams to solve.
Young’s opportunity comes when the Raiders fall behind the chains and become predictable. If the Rams can force obvious passing situations, he can concentrate on attacking the edge.
For Miller, winning this matchup means keeping Cousins comfortable and helping prevent the Rams from turning a stalled running game into a pass-protection problem.
THE PICK: RAIDERS 34, RAMS 24
The Raiders have spent three weeks learning how costly their mistakes can be. This is the week they apply those lessons. Cousins gets enough protection to spread the ball around, Bowers creates problems underneath and Tucker supplies a needed explosive play. The Rams will have opportunities against a defense that remains vulnerable, but the Raiders make enough stops to avoid another late collapse. The Rams have the talent to reverse its slide. Right now, though, the Raiders look better positioned to put together the more complete game at home.
KEY STAT: SIX
The combined margin of the Raiders’ home losses to the Chiefs and Bills. Those two three-point defeats show how close Las Vegas has come against established contenders — and how much a handful of plays can matter against the Rams.
