The Las Vegas Raiders are heading on the road to face the Philadelphia Eagles as they look to snap a seven-game losing streak. Nonetheless, one player on the Silver and Black is receiving bad news ahead of this contest.
On December 13, the NFL announced its Week 14 fines, and Raiders veteran Jamal Adams was among those fined for a play in the loss to the Denver Broncos. As part of the fining process, players are informed when a violation occurs and have the right to appeal any ruling.
Appeals are reviewed by officers and former NFL players Derrick Brooks, Ramon Foster, or Jordy Nelson, who are appointed and compensated jointly by the NFL and NFLPA. Ultimately, their decisions are final and binding.
When it comes to Adams, he’s being fined for unnecessary roughness on a play that was in the third quarter at the 9:38-minute mark, in which he committed a facemask. As a result of this play, the NFL is fining him $6,972.
Raiders Will Be Starting a New QB in Week 15
Moreover, the Adams fine isn’t the only news that the Raiders have made heading into their game against the Eagles. Las Vegas will have a new starting quarterback this week, as Geno Smith’s injury will keep him out. As a result, backup Kenny Pickett will get the call to play against his former team.
“Geno won’t make it back; he tried,” head coach Pete Carroll said on December 13. “Couldn’t get it done in this amount of time. Have a really good chance to be back next week, so Kenny’s going to take the lead.”
It’s not much of a shock that Pickett is getting the first-team reps this week. With the Raiders sitting at 2-11 and already out of playoff contention, there’s little reason to risk a struggling Smith.
Smith has had a tough season, and calls to bench him have been growing for weeks. The Raiders haven’t made that move — until now — giving them a chance to see what Pickett can bring to the field.
If Pickett performs well, Smith could have a hard time reclaiming his spot. Furthermore, facing his former team, he should have plenty of motivation to put up strong numbers. It will be interesting to see how the Raiders respond if Pickett outshines Smith.
Eagles Will Miss Two Key Players Against the Raiders
Meanwhile, the Eagles will be missing two key players for this matchup against the Raiders. On December 12, the Eagles confirmed that Lane Johnson and Jalen Carter will miss the game against Las Vegas. Johnson is sidelined with a foot injury, while Carter won’t play because of a shoulder problem.
There is a bit of positive news, though: backup right tackle Freddie Johnson fully participated in practice on December 12. He had been limited in the December 11 session while recovering from an ankle injury.
Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni isn’t worried about the right tackle spot, despite the questions surrounding it. On December 12, he expressed confidence in the position, even with one of the NFL’s premier pass rushers, Maxx Crosby, on the opposing side.
“We feel good about everybody that we have,” Sirianni said (h/t Pro Football Talk). “That’s why they’re here. Feel good about our depth that we have. Feel good about the guys that we have. You’ll see the injury report a little bit later today.”
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