The mood in the Raiders’ locker room this week was different — quieter, heavier, charged with the kind of uncertainty that only comes when key players are hurting. Coaches paced with clipboards, trainers moved briskly between rooms, and players exchanged fewer jokes than usual. The reason? The statuses of Brock Bowers and Elandon Roberts — two pillars of a team still fighting for respect — hang in the balance.

Inside sources describe Bowers’ injury as “something the team is managing carefully.” Translation: they’re worried, but not panicking — yet. Bowers has been the offense’s safety net, a mismatch nightmare who stretches defenses vertically and opens lanes for the run game. His absence could shrink the Raiders’ playbook dramatically. As one team staffer put it, “When he’s on the field, defenses hesitate. Without him, they attack.”

On defense, Elandon Roberts’ potential absence cuts deeper than numbers. The veteran is the kind of player whose voice carries — the one who slaps helmets before third downs and rallies teammates after blown plays. Losing him for a high-stakes primetime game isn’t just tactical — it’s emotional. “He’s our anchor,” defensive end Maxx Crosby admitted after Friday’s practice. “When he’s not out there, you feel it.”

Fans have flooded social media with concern and speculation, tracking every insider tweet and injury report. “No Bowers, no Roberts — that’s a nightmare before kickoff,” wrote one fan. But others see it differently. “This is when we find out who we are,” replied another. That sentiment seems to echo what Antonio Pierce has been preaching since day one: resilience over panic, grit over fear.

If Bowers can’t go, expect the Raiders to lean heavier on Jakobi Meyers and Davante Adams — a veteran duo capable of shouldering the offensive load. Tight end Michael Mayer, too, could find himself thrust into a breakout role. On defense, look for rookie linebacker Amari Burney to get expanded snaps — a baptism by fire under the bright lights.

This game could be a defining moment for Pierce’s young tenure. Coaches talk about “culture” all the time, but culture isn’t tested in blowouts — it’s tested in moments like this, when uncertainty and doubt creep in before the first whistle.

As Sunday night approaches, there’s both anxiety and anticipation in Las Vegas. The players know the eyes of the nation will be on them. Whether it’s with Bowers and Roberts or without them, this matchup will reveal something deeper — not just about talent, but about heart.

For a team that’s trying to shake off years of inconsistency, that might be exactly the kind of challenge they need.

“Can you go over the LB positions – who played what last week and if Roberts misses time who steps in and where?”

The Raiders’ starting off-ball linebackers consisted of Elandon Roberts, Devin White and Germaine Pratt. However, things went astray early with Roberts suffering an elbow injury in the first half.

White stepped over to MIKE linebacker and delivered, leading the Raiders in solo tackles (eight) along with an 83.9 tackling grade from Pro Football Focus.

“He was a hammer. He looked good,” Carroll said about White. “I was really excited that his presence was so obvious. He’s had a couple years where his game hasn’t been at that level that he played at yesterday, and so, he’s just getting going and had fun playing. He handled a lot of communication, and he hit the heck out of it. That was really encouraging, really fired up for him.”

Along with White, linebackers Tommy Eichenberg and Jamal Adams stepped in and played a big part in the second half. The two linebackers combined for 39 reps, with Adams recording three solo tackles and a quarterback hit. His 90.9 defensive grade from Pro Football Focus was also the highest of any Raider from Week 1.

“Tommy was the one that had to answer the call because he came in [for Roberts],” Carroll said. “Jamal was in and out of the game anyway as we were rotating him through. I thought Tommy did a really good job of jumping out there, communicating, doing right, picking up and not letting that be a factor. Jamal played a nice game too. He was active and moving around. But I really credit Tommy with coming off the bench. It’s hard to do that and play as actively as he did.”

Pete Carroll addressed Roberts injury status before Thursday’s practice saying, “he’s not looking at this game like he can’t play.” However if he’s unable to suit up, it’s presumptive Eichenberg and Adams will step into larger roles to complement White and Pratt.

CenTex Raider asked:

“Will Raiders continue with deep throws? Hitting on nine was huge.”

If we know anything about Geno Smith, it’s that he likes to stretch the field.

From 2022-2024, Smith completed 95 Big Time Throws (BTT), according to Pro Football Focus. He had two more BTTs in Sunday’s game, one of which was a 26-yard touchdown pass to Tre Tucker.

His nine completed passes for 20+ yards against the Patriots tied for the most in a single game by a Raiders quarterback since 1991.

“That’s how we want to play football,” Smith said. “We want to make sure that we make the right reads. I want to make sure that I’m making the right decisions and getting the ball into the hands of the play makers. We got a lot of great players, and that’s something we can take advantage of. So, I’m going to spread the ball around, if need be, but I’m going to find the open guy first and foremost.”

While Smith has proven his arm strength and accuracy can lead his team to victory, a more balanced attack would be ideal. The Raiders only rushed for 56 yards last Sunday, with 2025 first-rounder Ashton Jeanty averaging only two yards a carry. A more efficient ground game could amplify the passing game even more. Considering the Silver and Black have speedster wideouts Tucker and Dont’e Thornton Jr. at their disposal, it feels the deep ball is here to stay in Las Vegas.