The Las Vegas Raiders are 3-4 and will face a Detroit Lions team coming off their second loss on Monday Night Football.
Quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo missed Sunday’s game against the Chicago Bears due to a back injury he suffered last week against the New England Patriots.
Although Garoppolo did not suffer any significant damage to his back, he has not yet received medical clearance to return. The Raiders hope to know his condition soon.
“It’s a medical question,” Raiders coach Josh McDaniels said. “Honestly, I can’t give a percentage on that. I know he’s doing well, but that’s something they’ll tell us exactly when we can get over the hump. Hopefully this week, but I don’t have any details on that one yet.”
McDaniels said after Sunday’s game:
“If he’s healthy, yeah, he’ll play .”
The Raiders will need to have a productive week of practice with Garoppolo, Brian Hoyer and Aidan O’Connell if they hope to have a better offensive performance on Monday night.
“No problem, “We moved the ball and then got bogged down on something, or we missed a third down or got a penalty here or there.
“We had some penalties yesterday and we didn’t do a good job on third down for the first two or three and a half quarters of the game. And there were a lot of little things that happened in those this match.”
Garoppolo’s injury has left the Raiders quarterback position in limbo. Strengthening the quarterback position with Garoppolo or someone else could help the Las Vegas offense solve some of the communication and execution issues they face.
“A football game can be changed by taking four or five different actions,” McDaniels said. “Pick four or five different plays and you say,
‘Man, if we had done this, if we had done that.
“So whether it’s a calling that you want to choose differently, or a performance of a play, a mission, or whatever, in the end, we have to put on a performance representing what we think we can be.
“We’re looking for that and there’s no shortcut to get there.
I think we have to have 11 players in every game trying do the right thing, which I think we’re doing. We need to execute more consistently against good teams. That’s what it’s going to require of us.
Monday night will be one of the toughest battles the Raiders have faced all season. Las Vegas must be ready to go, with or without Garoppolo.
