1 Matchup to Watch When Raiders, Eagles Face Off

The Las Vegas Raiders' defense is set to be tested Sunday against the Philadelphia Eagles.

Matchup to Watch

The Raiders will match one of the worst rosters in the National Football League against one of the best on Sunday. Yet there is still a quietly good matchup when the Raiders and Eagles take the field on Sunday. The matchup will play a critical role in the results of the game.

Thomas Valentine of Pro Football Focus analyzed the top individual matchup to keep an eye on when the Raiders and Eagles face each other on Sunday. The best matchup on the field is arguably between Raiders cornerback Eric Stokes and Eagles receiver A.J. Brown.

"In the last four weeks, Eagles receiver A.J. Brown (79.3 grade; 16th) has rekindled his role in the Eagles’ offense, reminding the NFL that he’s still one of the premier receivers in the league," Valentine said.

"Brown has caught 31 of 47 targets for 391 yards and three touchdowns in the last four weeks, registering an 82.8 overall PFF grade in the process. After a slow start to the season, Brown is a feature part of the Eagles' attack and will look to build on his streak of three straight games with 100 receiving yards."

Brown is undoubtedly one of the top wide receivers in the league, but Stokes was a former first-round pick for a reason. Stokes has held his own this season, as he has all but erased any doubts about his health and performance. Valentine believes Stokes will continue to battle on Sunday.

"He’ll look to do it against Raiders corner Eric Stokes (71.9 grade; 18th), who has had a strong first season in Las Vegas. Stokes has surrendered just 23 catches for 238 yards in coverage, and averages 18.3 snaps per reception. The former Packer has four pass breakups and won’t go down without a fight against Brown," Valentine said.

Although Stokes and Brown will battle it out, the Raiders will likely see more action going towards rookie cornerback Darien Porter. Kyu Blu Kelly's injury makes it much more likely the Eagles will throw at Porter, the rookie, than Stokes, the veteran.

Earlier this week, Raiders Defensive Coordinator Patrick Graham explained how he plans to continue helping bring Porter along.

"It's funny, each week you go in like, 'Okay, this guy's fast. This guy's big.' All the teams got those guys. It's a position in the league right now, and again, most of them seem to be coming from LSU, but not all of them, but they're so big, so fast, so skilled,” Graham said.

“And what you do is you just try to tell him to just trust this process,” And then do a study on the players and try to have an idea of his individual matchup. Most offenses aren't doing old school Indianapolis Colts, Denver Broncos with Peyton Manning where they're all on the same side all the time. So, you're going to have to do your homework on all of them. So, just trust in your process."

Catch every single story related to your Raiders. Sign up for our 100% FREE newsletter that comes straight to your email with the latest news. It is 100% FREE. We do not spam you or sell your information. SIGN UP HERE NOW.

We would appreciate it if you followed us on X @HondoCarpenter, @EZTrez_SI ,and IG @HondoSr , and we also invite you to visit our Facebook page, WHEN YOU CLICK RIGHT HERE