Raiders elevate preseason standout from practice squad ahead of Chiefs game
The Las Vegas Raiders will enter Week 7 with a golden opportunity as they travel to take on the Kansas City Chiefs. As bad as things have been this season, a win would have them heading into their bye in the midst of the postseason race with plenty of confidence due to a two-game winning streak.
The offense, however, is banged up entering the pivotal divisional matchup. They are expected to be without two stars who have missed the past two games, as Kolton Miller remains on injured reserve with a broken ankle, while Brock Bowers is listed as doubtful as he deals with a PCL injury.
The bigger surprise is that wide receivers Jakobi Meyers and Alex Bachman are both listed as questionable. The former is dealing with a knee and toe injury and did not practice on Wednesday or Thursday before being a limited participant on Friday. Meanwhile, the latter was added to the injury report on Thursday with an ankle injury and was limited in the final two practices of the week.
Raiders make a move to combat potential WR absences in Week 7
If both players are unable to go, Las Vegas' depth at wide receiver would be tested, as Tre Tucker, Dont'e Thornton Jr., Jack Bech and Justin Shorter would be the only active wide receivers. The Raiders made a precautionary move on Saturday to combat the potential lack of depth.
Las Vegas will need to embrace a next man up mentality, which is something that they did in Week 6, as Michael Mayer stepped up with All-Pro tight end Brock Bowers sidelined. The Raiders announced that Shedrick Jackson will be elevated from the practice squad.
Jackson was a popular player with the fan base entering the preseason, as he is the great-nephew of the legendary Bo Jackson. His performance earned him even more support, as he finished with 133 receiving yards and a touchdown on eight receptions, showing an ability to stretch the field.
If Meyers, who has played 92.6% of the offensive snaps, is out, that could open up opportunities for the young wideout. Bachman and Shorter have combined for just 22 offensive snaps, so there is the possibility that Jackson could be the Raiders' fourth-most-utilized wide receiver on the day.
Hopefully, both Meyers and Bachman are available, as the former is still a valuable part of the receiving corps and the latter has really shown out on special teams lately. But the Raiders will have who they have, and they'll need to devise a solid game plan either way.
Meyers being unavailable would certainly throw more fuel on the fire of his trade rumors, and Raider Nation may be concerned that they had seen him play his last game in the Silver and Black. Hopefully, he defies these notions by suiting up on Sunday.
49ers Shockingly Release Wide Receiver Amid Mounting Injuries
The San Francisco 49ers have been hit with multiple injuries. Brock Purdy, George Kittle, Brandon Aiyuk, Ricky Pearsall, and more have all missed multiple games due to injury. Nick Bosa and Fred Warner are also lost for the season, but the team has now released a wide receiver in a shocking move.
According to reports, the 49ers are releasing Marquez Valdes-Scantling with an injury settlement. The former Kansas City Chiefs star and two-time Super Bowl champion can now sign with a new deal when he recovers.
Valdes-Scantling suffered a calf injury that had him placed on IR. With him set to miss at least the next four games, the 49ers are instead choosing to allow him to seek a new team when he returns from injury.
The good news is this could mean the 49ers are preparing to get back some of their stars. One such star who is already confirmed to return is Kittle. The star tight end was placed on IR due to a hamstring injury in Week 1. After missing the last five games, he finally returns.
San Francisco may be missing quite a few players, but the team has fought back to a 4-2 record. Purdy will remain out, leaving Mac Jones to start again. Pearsall is also out, but the team has found a lot of help with Jauan Jennings and new addition Kendrick Bourne, emerging as a solid pass catching weapon.
Bourne has become a bright spot in the offense, acquiring 371 yards, which is good for second on the team.
The 49ers are looking to keep pace in the stacked NFC West, and they’ll need a big win on Sunday to regain first place, assuming the Seattle Seahawks and the Los Angeles Rams lose their respective games.
San Francisco has a tough opponent ahead, as they face the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday night. The Falcons’ offense has emerged as one of the toughest in the league, causing multiple turnovers a game.
With Kittle back, they will have a better chance of dealing with the high-powered Falcons defense. Kittle offers a huge boost to the passing game, and he can also block to set up the play-action calls and the run game.
