In what has been a tumultuous week for the Raiders, the NY Giants need to block out the noise and try to bounce back from their despicable loss to the Jets.
Since the Raiders loss to the Lions on Monday Night Football, the team has fired general manager David Ziegler, head coach Josh McDaniels and offensive coordinator Mick Lombardi. In light of the news, they also decided to bench quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo for rookie signal-caller Aidan O’Connell.
Despite all the turmoil, the Raiders are still favored in the Week 9 showdown against Big Blue. With that in mind, here are four bold predictions for the Giants vs. Las Vegas on Sunday afternoon:
4. Kayvon Thibodeaux ups his sack total to 10 (or more)
Kayvon Thibodeaux has been a silver lining for the G-Men in what has quickly become a lost season. He has taken that next step in his development after what was an underwhelming rookie season and looks like the player the front office thought he would be when they selected him with the No. 5 overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft.
Through eight games this season, Thibodeaux is currently tied for third in the NFL in sacks (8.5) with Defensive Player of the Year candidates T.J. Watt and Myles Garrett. Additionally, he has eight tackles for loss, 10 quarterback hits, one pass deflection, a forced fumble, and ranks in the Top 10 in pressures (19).
In other words, Thibodeaux has been a menace for opposing offenses. Now, he faces a reeling Raiders team that ranks 10th in sacks allowed (22). O’Connell took seven sacks in his lone NFL start this season in large part due to his willingness to hold onto the football for longer than he should.
Coming off a three-sack performance against the Jets, expect Thibodeaux to carry that momentum in Week 9 and reach double-digit sacks on the season.