Key Matchups To Watch As Raiders Clash With Seahawks

The Las Vegas Raiders usher in a new era of the franchise when they host the defending Super Bowl champions, the Seattle Seahawks.

There are many storylines to follow in this game, particularly Klint Kubiak facing his former team as the Raiders' head coach and rookie quarterback Fernando Mendoza making his first career start. Las Vegas hasn't fared well against teams currently over .500 this fall, going 0-5. They have a chance to make it 1-5 as the Seahawks continue to find a rhythm in a maddening season.

With all of this in mind, let's look at the key matchups for Sunday's historic game at Allegiant Stadium.

Raiders HC Klint Kubiak vs. Seahawks HC Mike Macdonald

Macdonald Seahawks — Nov 2, 2026; Seattle, Washington, USA; Seattle Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald stands on the field prior to a game against the Chicago Bears at Lumen Field. Mandatory Credit: Steven Bisig-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

One of the best offensive minds faces one of the best defensive minds; it is going to be one counterpunch after another between the Raiders' offense and the Seahawks' defense as Kubiak and Macdonald look to one-up each other.

How will Kubiak put Mendoza in advantageous situations on the field? Similar to what he has been doing all season: widening pockets off play-action, consistent aggression to the middle of the field, and forcing the Seahawks to play more base fronts against 12 and 13 personnel.

Macdonald will almost certainly counter with disguises, late rotations, and a consistent mixture of coverage variations such as Cover 3 and Cover 6, two types that Macdonald loves to play.

Raiders Edge Rusher Maxx Crosby vs. Seahawks RT Abraham Lucas

It feels like the dial for Crosby has been turned up for the last few weeks, production-wise. This week, he has a favorable matchup against Seahawks right tackle Abraham Lucas, who has allowed 29 pressures and a 9.2 percent pressure rate, which is about league average, according to Next Gen Stats.

Crosby's pressure rate has decreased over the last few weeks due to the quality of opponents he's faced. However, the Seahawks allow him an opportunity to do some damage. Look for the Raiders' star defensive end to be a disruptor against quarterback Drew Lock.

Raiders Secondary vs. Seahawks WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba

JSN Raiders — Nov 8, 2026; Seattle, Washington, USA; Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba (11) runs against the Arizona Cardinals during the second quarter at Lumen Field. Mandatory Credit: Steven Bisig-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Raiders have allowed the third-most expected points added per pass play (EPA per pass) this season at +0.14; only the Arizona Cardinals and Miami Dolphins are worse, per NGS. This young secondary will face the best wide receiver in the NFL, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, who is already on pace to potentially overtake his Offensive Player of the Year performance from last season.

You know the Raiders aren't going to stop Smith-Njigba entirely, but how will the Raiders slow him down, at least?

I could see defensive coordinator Rob Leonard utilizing more jams at the line of scrimmage, potentially Cover 3 cloud where one boundary corner will jam and bail to the flat, or Cover 1 with a jam tag to the coverage call and one of the safeties plays the robber defender to defend the middle of the field closed (MOFC). I fear another big game is coming from Smith-Njigba, but the Raiders must find a way to limit the damage in some capacity.

Add us as a preferred source on Google