Raiders: Henry Ruggs and two other starters ruled out for Week 3
By Justin Fried
The Las Vegas Raiders have ruled out three starters for Week 3 including wide receiver Henry Ruggs.
The Las Vegas Raiders are fresh off a thrilling upset victory over the New Orleans Saints on Monday Night Football to kick off their Allegiant Stadium debut in style.
But while the team may sit at 2-0 in good shape following two consecutive victories to start their season, there will be no time to rest on their laurels with a Week 3 matchup against the New England Patriots awaiting them.
Not only that, but they certainly won’t be at full strength for that game.
The Raiders released their final injury report ahead of Sunday’s game on Friday and it featured quite a few notable names — three of which were declared out.
Las Vegas has already listed the likes of Henry Ruggs, Trent Brown, and Nick Kwiatkoski as out while others such as Josh Jacobs, Darren Waller, Denzelle Good, and Sam Young are all questionable.
That’s quite a number of prominent players who either will or might miss this week’s game.
The Raiders will be without a number of key players in Week 3.
Ruggs played the first two games for the Raiders but has been dealing with both knee and hamstring injuries. The Raiders will allow him to sit and rest before he can hopefully return the following week.
Look for fellow rookie Bryan Edwards to see an increased role on Sunday with a breakout opportunity perhaps on the way.
As for the team’s offensive line situation, that’s a little iffier. With Richie Incognito on injured reserve and Brown out for Sunday’s game, the Raiders will hope that both Good and Young can play this week.
If not, we’ll likely see players like John Simpson and Brandon Parker step into starting roles. Simpson held his own last week, but the Raiders would certainly love to have Good playing there.
That said, head coach Jon Gruden could opt to play the rookie at left guard regardless.
Meanwhile, the team will once again turn to Nicholas Morrow to fill in for Kwiatkoski. Morrow recorded a crucial interception in last week’s game and will earn the start once more.
While both Jacobs and Waller are listed as questionable, the hope is that both cornerstones of the Raiders’ offense can play through their injuries.
Next. The Raiders offense is as diverse as it’s been in a while. dark
The Raiders are beat up going into Week 3 and it’s going to take all hands on deck to pull off their third straight victory over a tough Patriots team and improve to 3-0.