Raiders Rocked by Injury Update: Star Could Miss Patriots Clash
Week 1 is here for the Las Vegas Raiders and the Pete Carroll era. While their wide receiver group is a work in progress following the arrival of Amari Cooper to go along with the promising rookies and veteran Jakobi Meyers, the unit might not have to face one of the top cornerbacks in the NFL.
The Raiders will travel to Gillette Stadium for a matchup with the New England Patriots, who are beginning a new era of their own as Mike Vrabel took over as head coach this past offseason.
Nonetheless, New England could be without a key player on their defense after Vrabel provided an injury update on Christian Gonzalez, who did not practice on September 1, per the Boston Herald.
“Well, it just hasn’t gone — again, (Gonzalez) ‘s working hard,” Vrabel said. “Whether it’s, say, one injury is going to be three to four weeks, one’s going to be one to two, everybody heals differently.”
Christian Gonzalez Working to Get Ready for Raiders
Gonzalez injured his left hamstring during training camp on July 28 and hasn’t been on the field since. It’s September 1, and not practicing and gearing up for Week 1 is a setback for the cornerback.
However, there’s still the rest of the week, as he could work his way to being a game-time decision against Las Vegas. Nonetheless, Vrabel shared details of what he’s seeing from the Patriots’ cornerback.
“(He’s) working hard and trying to improve, and he wants to be out there,“ Vrabel added. “I think it’s good for us, and for Christian and the team, trying not to be frustrated.
“Obviously those things happen, and it’s how we respond to them, it’s how hard we work to get back, the communication, all the things that he’s doing. So (he’s) continued to work hard to get back, and we’re trying to make sure that we’re doing everything we can to help him.”
In his second season in the NFL, Gonzalez recorded 11 passes defended and two interceptions, so the Raiders might avoid having to face this lockdown defender to allow for their receivers to have the opportunity to get open for veteran quarterback Geno Smith.
Will Amari Cooper Be Ready for Week 1?
Carroll will have a revamped wide receiver group with the newly signed Cooper being the latest addition. Moreover, Meyers will return to New England to face the Patriots after spending the first four years of his career there.
Ahead of this contest, Caroll gave an update on Cooper and the rest of the group as they prepare for Week 1.
“Well, he’s been a great player,” Caroll said on August 28. “He’s been a great performer. He’s made a ton of big plays in big situations. It’s not beyond his scope to come up and make the clutch play at the right time. He’s big and strong, runs fantastic routes, and has always been a playmaker. So, we thought a chance to add a guy like that with experience, really to help our young guys, might really suit us well.
“And so, for Dont’e (Thornton) on the outside, they’ll be doing a lot of the same stuff. I think Amari’s (Cooper) way can affect him and help him come along. There’s a lot of pressure for him to be the only X over there that we’re kind of going with, and so I think this really balances us out well. And I hope it really suits Jack (Bech) and Dont’e.”
AFC Notes: J.K. Dobbins, Bo Nix, Broncos, Chargers
Broncos
Bo Nix is entering the second year of his career after his breakout rookie campaign in 2024. Hall of Fame QB Peyton Manning is confident Nix is “made of the right stuff” to continue being a highly successful quarterback.
“Bo is made of the right stuff. He’s a little bit older, carries himself the right way. And all of it should help as he moves forward in his career,” Manning said, via Troy Renck of the Denver Post. “I am just happy that Bo is the established starter. For a number of years, they had quarterback competitions. That’s hard on the receivers, the coaches, the play-caller, and the quarterback. Now, they’ve got their guy.”
Manning thinks Nix showed talent beyond his years as a rookie.
“I just don’t see that as being a big factor for him. Rookie quarterbacks are supposed to struggle, and then the game slows down. But, it sure looked like it slowed down a lot for him last year,” Manning said. “Like with C.J. Stroud, Bo didn’t play like a rookie. … I believe experience is the best teacher, and he got great experience last year.”
Manning added that playing under Sean Payton for a second season should be beneficial for Nix.
“The continuity, more than anything else. There are times when guys go into their second year, and they are going on their third coordinator,” Manning said. “He has an experienced head coach in Sean, who is his play-caller. Having that same voice and verbiage is so critical. We expect Sean to be here for a long time, so Bo will use that to his advantage.”
Broncos
Broncos RB J.K. Dobbins had a resurgence in his career after missing 2022 with a knee injury and 2023 with a torn Achilles. His surgeon, Dr. Neal ElAttrache, said he grew a close relationship with Dobbins and praised him for his perseverance.
“I can’t say enough about him,” ElAttrache said, via Luca Evans of The Denver Post. “I mean, he’s the kind of guy that I would like to have as a friend forever. He’s that kind of person.”
ElAttrache pointed out that damaged ligaments can never return to their previous health, but Dobbins has worked hard on his rehab.
“You never want to expect they’re going to be 22 years old again,” ElAttrache said. “You can’t turn back the clock and go before, when he was that number one (running back) for the Ravens. But, having said that, his performance was still right there.”
Chargers
Chargers DC Jesse Minter still holds on to rejection letters from graduate assistant jobs that he applied to across the country, accumulating 98 in total. Minter said the rejections are a reminder to be grateful for where he is now.
“Because that’s just how I operate,” Minter said, via Daniel Popper of The Athletic. “It’s just that reminder of the joy that it is, the blessing that it is, the opportunity that you have, not to take it for granted and not to ever feel like you’ve arrived.”
Minter said he’s always tried to operate without an ego and build a culture of letting people know their value.
“A lot of coaches have crazy egos, and I think there’s a difference in being confident in yourself and sure of yourself, and then having an ego,” Minter said. “I’ve always tried really, really hard to not have an ego, to really try to build a situation where everybody feels like they have value, where everybody feels like they’re part of the success.”
- Per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, Chargers RB Najee Harris participated in three-straight practices last week and was cleared for contact on Friday.
