Although the Oakland Raiders were dealing with their fair share of key injuries heading into Week 8 of the 2019 NFL season, it appears they will be back to full strength against the Houston Texans.
Aside from coming up short against the Green Bay Packers in Week 7, the Raiders were also left with a laundry list of key players on the injury report. Among the notable names that were listed as questionable this week have been running back Josh Jacobs, wide receiver Tyrell Williams, and right tackle Trent Brown.
Jacobs missed some time during the game against the Packers due to a shoulder injury, while Williams and Brown missed the game altogether with foot and calf injuries, respectively.
According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network though, all three players are good to go for Sunday’s Week 8 matchup with the Texans:
#Raiders RB Josh Jacobs (shoulder) is expected to play today, while Jon Gruden said WR Tyrell Williams (foot) should be back, as well. OT Trent Brown (calf) is also expected to play, while #Texans CB Bradley Roby (hamstring) is out for Houston.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) October 27, 2019
Jacobs is coming off yet another stellar outing after logging 124 yards on 21 carries against Green Bay, however, he was unable to make it out unscathed after picking up the shoulder injury. While he was not able to log in any practice time this week, it appears to have simply been a precautionary move to ensure his health versus Houston.
Jacobs has established himself as the clear frontrunner for NFL’s Rookie of the Year honors as the workhorse for this Raiders offense. He will have a chance to solidify that notion with a favorable matchup against a Texans defense that is currently allowing the eighth-most rushing yards per game (134.1).
The rookie will certainly be happy to have Brown back in the mix upfront after sitting out last week against Green Bay. This will be the first time that the offensive line has had all of their starters healthy this season and it is safe to say that they will be looking to take advantage.
Having Brown back not only opens up more holed for Jacobs to run through, but it also helps to shore up the protection for quarterback Derek Carr. The Raiders are hoping this will be the second consecutive week they are able to keep Carr from getting sacked following the return of right guard Gabe Jackson.
The return of Williams should also help to provide another dynamic to a passing game that has been lacking in firepower in recent weeks. He had been Carr’s favorite target prior to suffering the foot injury and will now be looking to pick up where he left off this week against the Texans.
The Raiders have since done what they can to shore up Carr’s weapons in the passing game by acquiring wide receivers Trevor Davis and Zay Jones ahead of the trade deadline. Regardless, Williams should have no problem taking back his role as the No. 1 option.
