LAS VEGAS, Nev. — Nearly four years after a devastating Josh Jacobs touchdown ended a way-too-close nail-biter, the Seahawks and Las Vegas Raiders are facing off once again.
A lot can happen in just four years, and both teams are proof of that. Both teams are nearly entirely different, both briefly had the same coach, and while the Seahawks have seen success, the Raiders have mostly struggled.
Heading into Sunday, the Raiders, now led by formers Seahawks offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak, were off to a hot start -- winning three straight -- but have mostly cooled off. That being said, it is worth noting that they do have more wins at this point in the season than they had all year last year.
Now, with the Raiders trading away their starting quarterback Kirk Cousins at the trade deadline, all of the attention turns to rookie quarterback Fernando Mendoza.
Mendoza, a Heisman award winner and the first pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, will not have an easy starting debut.
After a much-needed wake-up loss to the Chicago Bears in Week 8, the Seahawks crushed the Arizona Cardinals, 17-3 last Sunday.
Issues regarding the red zone on both sides of the ball were addressed and alleviated, and despite being down key defensive starters, the Seahawks held the Cardinals to under 200 total yards.
Not to mention, backup quarterback Drew Lock filled in perfectly for Sam Darnold, throwing for 175 yards and one touchdown.
The running game also seemed to be more efficient, with both Zach Charbonnet and Jadarian Price looking more comfortable and confident on the field.
With several key starters returning on both sides of the ball, including linebacker Uchenna Nwosu and wide receiver Rashid Shaheed, the Seahawks are in a solid position to keep running it forward.
If they maintain their form from last Sunday and keep the ball out of star tight end Brock Bowers’ hands (just like safety Nick Emmanwori did with Cardinals’ tight end Trey McBride), the Seahawks will enter their bye week in great shape for the final stretch of the season.
The Seahawks face the Raiders Sunday, Nov. 15, with kickoff set for 1:05 p.m. in Las Vegas. You can watch the game live on KIRO 7.