3 Raiders Players Who Need to Step Up for a Las Vegas Playoff Push

The Las Vegas Raiders will be involved in a difficult push for a playoff spot all season long. 

The AFC West has been a tough division for a few years, and it has even more firepower with the Los Angeles Chargers exceeding expectations under Brandon Staley. 

Las Vegas comes into Week 6 with a 3-2 mark, which is one win better than last-place Kansas City, but at some point, you have to think the reigning AFC champion will figure out its problems. 

Before the Raiders face Kansas City in Week 10, it faces a handful of winnable games, starting with Week 6's trip to face the Denver Broncos. 

The Raiders host the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 7 and visit the New York Giants in Week 9 off a Week 8 bye. 

To go 3-0 in those games, the Raiders need a handful of players to improve. The attempt to get better will come under new guidance, as Rich Bisaccia was named interim head coach after Jon Gruden resigned on Monday. 

Josh Jacobs is not playing poorly, but he could certainly do more to ease some pressure off Derek Carr. 

Jacobs picked up 88 rushing yards on 28 carries in the last two weeks. He missed the games in Weeks 2 and 3 with an injury.

The third-year player found the end zone twice in the opening win over the Baltimore Ravens, but even in that game, he had 34 yards off 10 carries. 

A year ago, Jacobs started with four 70-yard performances in the first five contests. He had 79 rushing yards or more in the same span to kick off his rookie campaign. 

Jacobs does not have to be a 100-yard back every week, but he needs to increase his totals for the Raiders to win some tough individual battles.

Las Vegas faces a tough test against Vic Fangio's Denver defense in Week 6, but that is a winnable game since the Broncos' offense has struggled. 

Jacobs had 201 rushing yards and four scores in two matchups with Denver in 2020. Those performances proved that a strong running back could rip holes through Fangio's defensive scheme. 

If Jacobs replicates those outings, he could be in for a massive three-game stretch. The Eagles and Giants conceding two of the worst six rushing yard totals through five weeks. 

If the Raiders get Jacobs going over the next few weeks, they could avoid a dip in form and go into the Week 10 clash with Kansas City a few games over .500.

Bryan Edwards looked like he would be a crucial supporting piece behind Darren Waller and others in the passing game after Week 1. 

Since then, Edwards' production has dipped as the Raiders struggled to put points on the board. 

Edwards caught three of his nine targets for 26 yards in the losses to the Chargers and Bears in which the Raiders put up 23 points. 

The wide receiver out of South Carolina was utilized as a deep-play threat in the first few weeks. He had a pair of 80-yard performances in Weeks 1 and 3. He averaged over 13 yards per target in each of the first three contests. 

Edwards' catch rate must improve for him to be considered a threat inside the Las Vegas offense. He has 13 receptions on 22 targets. He played in over 75 percent of the offensive snaps in the last three weeks. 

At the moment, Edwards' production does not match his time on the field. That could change with a few long grabs in the next few weeks as the Raiders look to bounce out of their small losing streak. 

If Edwards once again adds the deep-play dynamic to the offense, the Raiders could have one of the most explosive offensive units in the AFC. Darren Waller is a consistent target at tight end, Henry Ruggs III leads the team in receiving and Hunter Renfrow is a reliable player in third-down and red-zone situations. 

Amik Robertson gave the Raiders some good and bad moments in the secondary in the last two weeks. 

Robertson made seven tackles in each of the last two weeks in a role carved out for him by injuries in the defensive backfield. 

The second-year player also has some not-so-favorable numbers, as he gave up a touchdown in both of the recent defeats. 

Opposing quarterbacks completed 10 of the 14 passes thrown in Robertson's direction during that span. 

Robertson is expected to receive more playing time in the coming weeks. Trayvon Mullen missed Sunday's game with a toe injury, and Nate Hobbs has been dealing with a shoulder issue. 

If Robertson tightens up his coverage skills to go along with his high tackle totals, he could end up as one of the biggest surprises in the Raiders' defense. 

As long as he keeps getting better, the Raiders should improve on the NFL's eighth-worst passing defense. 

Statistics obtained from Pro Football Reference.