When the Denver Broncos ruled out top cornerback Aqib Talib for their Sunday night contest, the Oakland Raiders offense let out a sigh of relief.
When they announced projected nickel corner Kayvon Webster wouldn't be making the trip to Oakland on Saturday, the Raiders started licking their lips.
In their first Sunday night game since 2006, the Raiders will have the opportunity to put the NFL world on notice and lay a "W" on top of the defending Super Bowl champions. With Amari Cooper and Michael Crabtree expected to see a lot of regular starters Chris Harris Jr. and Bradley Roby, slot specialist Seth Roberts could be a heavy contributor for the Raiders.
Roberts will get the chance to face an inexperienced defensive back in either second-year Lorenzo Doss or rookie Taurean Nixon, who will be playing his first pro game Sunday.
As top-notch players at their position, it's foreseeable that Harris and Roby could hold Cooper and Crabtree relatively at bay - at least enough to keep the score close. With the inexperience behind the pair of cornerbacks, the Raiders will likely spread the field and look to take advantage of their matchups.
In his second year as a pro, Roberts is coming off his most productive game, finishing with 69 yards and a touchdown against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Broncos will undoubtedly be focused on stopping the Raiders' dynamic receiver duo and getting pressure on Derek Carr - which is exactly where Roberts can make a difference.
From his spot in the slot, Roberts will have the opportunity to use his speed to burn either Doss or Nixon off the line of scrimmage and be a quick read for Carr to get the ball out in a hurry. If ever there is a time where Roby or Harris aren't assigned to Crabtree or Cooper, look for the Raiders to set up a deep play - but don't expect that to happen often.
At this point, there's not a lot the Broncos can do to replace Talib or Webster, so they'll have to do their best with what they have. It's going to be on the Raiders to expose a rare weakness in the Broncos' top-ranked passing defense when they have the chance.
