G Low Low asks:
"Key players on the Browns are out on the COVID list. Are we gonna play down to this?"
Going into the matchup with the Browns, the Raiders' opponent seems depleted before they've even stepped foot in Ohio.
The Cleveland Browns placed 14 players on the COVID reserve list in the last 48 hours – including Baker Mayfield, Jarvis Landry, Austin Hooper, John Johnson III, Jedrick Wills Jr., Takkarist McKinley – and their head coach Kevin Stefanski has tested positive as well. Regardless of who's on that list, the Browns are still a good football team. Cleveland is rolling into this home matchup at 7-6 and have All-Pro defensive end Myles Garrett, who is second in the NFL in sacks (15.0). The Browns may seem wounded, but they've got depth and a strong "next man up" mentality to face Derek Carr and Co.
"I'm going to prepare the way that I prepare," Carr said Tuesday. "If I have to prepare differently, that means I don't believe I'm doing it the right way in the first place. This way that I've prepared has helped me be successful in this league and I'm always open to my coaches helping me make that process better. But I treat every game like this is the most important one and I always will. That's just how I am. No matter who's playing, who's on the injury report, all that kind of stuff. At the end of the day, we're all professional football players and everybody is capable."
Jamie Radley asks:
"How do we beat them and not get embarrassed again?"
What happened in Kansas City, unfortunately, can't be categorized any other way.
But the Raiders have to leave that game in the past and restart anew. This is a week-by-week league, and the Raiders must ready against the Browns like their blowout loss never happened. They can take that emotion of feeling embarrassed and apply it to coming out stronger and more on edge for the Browns this Saturday.
"I want them to feel how they feel. I'm not in charge of someone else's feelings," Interim Head Coach Rich Bisaccia said of his team Monday. "I think we are all angry. We're all disappointed. I'm not big on frustration, I think it's a wasted emotion. I'm just trying to look at, from my perspective as coaches, what we can do better, how we can help put them in better situations or better positions to help them play a little bit better."
O'Bay Dnalkao asks:
"Will Kolton Miller be able to contain Myles Garrett?"
Myles Garrett is the very best the NFL has to offer. The No. 1 pick in the 2017 NFL Draft is in the midst of his best season in the NFL yet. With four games left, he's already at a career high for sacks, tackles and quarterback hits in a single season.
It won't be a walk in the park this Saturday for Garrett, though. Kolton Miller is having his best season in the NFL, too. In 860 offensive snaps played, Miller has one of the top pass blocking PFF grades for all tackles this season. And not to forget that Miller has had to go up against the likes of Yannick Ngakoue and Maxx Crosby every day in practice to prepare him for the task of blocking Myles Garrett.
"Great player, obviously they're aware of matchups as well," offensive coordinator Greg Olson said about Garrett. "They played him and [Jadeveon] Clowney – played him inside and Clowney outside, Clowney inside and him outside. They're looking for the same matchups defensively so we're aware of that. We'll get a feel once the game gets started of where they feel their matchup is and then we'll adjust accordingly. He's a premier player in the league and has been, but he's having a really great season this season."
