The Oakland Raiders offensive line will be restored to full strength once again with right tackle Trent Brown and center Rodney Hudson back officially active for the Week 10 matchup against the Los Angeles Chargers on Thursday Night Football.
The Raiders managed to pull out a clutch 31-24 victory over the Detroit Lions in Week 9 and are now slated to host a crucial AFC West matchup on a short week. Fortunately, they can take solace in the fact that they were able to get some key pieces involved in practice this week.
Oakland experienced a bit of a scare after Brown was forced to exit last week’s win with an ankle injury and never made his return, however, his participation in practice indicates that the results came back clean. He will now be back to help anchor an offensive line that has enjoyed quite the resurgence in recent weeks.
Meanwhile, Hudson was unable to play in the win against the Lions while dealing with an ankle injury of his own. Oakland appears to be optimistic that the veteran will be able to hold up physically in this pivotal matchup against the Chargers.
The Raiders have put an emphasis on fortifying their protection up front and it has finally started to pay off. Head coach Jon Gruden is taking full advantage by establishing a strong ground game with running back Josh Jacobs serving as the central force of the sixth-best rushing offense in the NFL (136.4).
Meanwhile, their efforts have also spilled over into the passing game now that quarterback Derek Carr has only been sacked just one time in the past four games following an abysmal start to the 2019 NFL season. Regardless, they will still have their cork cut out trying to contain one of the most formidable edge-rushing duos in the league in Joey Bosa and Melvin Ingram this week.
The Raiders find themselves in the driver’s seat at 4-4 heading into the second half of the season and a win against a divisional opponent would be a solid first step in their playoff bid moving forward. There is good reason for the Silver and Black to be confident now that the offensive line is healthy once again with Brown and Hudson back in the mix.
