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CLEVELAND, OHIO DECEMBER 20: Daniel Carlson #2 of the Las Vegas Raiders reacts after defeating the Cleveland Browns at FirstEnergy Stadium on December 20, 2021, in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Nick Cammett/Getty Images)

So many things need to change within the Las Vegas Raiders organization, and here are a few things to add to their Christmas wish list.

The Las Vegas Raiders once again find themselves in the situation where there will be far more questions than answers this coming offseason. The 2021 campaign has been a roller coaster for sure, with issues arising both on, and off the field.

The abrupt end of the Jon Gruden era could have this Raiders team looking very different by the start of 2022. And the thought of another retooling or rebuild just strikes at the heart of the fanbase. Sure, there is always the hope of the NFL Draft or free agency, but this team has struggled to get it right in both.

We wish nothing more than to see the Raiders reclaim a spot atop the AFC and make the Silver and Black prominent once again.

But to do that, it will require a change of mind, not just a change of personnel. And with the holiday season here, everyone has their wish list of things they want to see done to fix the Raiders.

Here are four things we feel should be on the Raiders wish list this Christmas.

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4 things that should be on the Las Vegas Raiders Christmas List - Just Blog Baby

37-year-old woman faces murder charge

by: David Charns

(Getty Images)

LAS VEGAS (KLAS) A man using a shotgun to play with a 1-year-old child and then doing the same with his girlfriend led to his death Sunday, documents obtained by the I-Team said.

Officers took Shanika Smith, 37, into custody on Sunday night for the murder of Jahmal Rogers, who police said was her boyfriend.

Police said officers were called to an apartment in the 900 block of East Twain Avenue for an accidental shooting just after 10 p.m., they wrote in Smiths arrest report.

When officers arrived, she told them she had accidentally shot a man, later identified as Rogers.

Rogers died of a gunshot wound to his torso and was found in the apartments kitchen with a gunshot near him, officers said.

While speaking with witnesses, neighbors told officers Rogers and Smith had been arguing before the shooting. After hearing the gunshot, one witness went into the apartment and spoke to Smith, who said she had shot Rogers during a struggle for the shotgun, police said.

While talking to police, Smith told investigators Rogers had hit one of her children earlier in the day, pointing the shotgun at his head, police said.

Later in the day, Rogers reportedly punched Smith in the face for smoking their last cigarette, police said. That argument escalated and police responded to the area, but left.

Soon after, Rogers retrieved his shotgun and stood with it at the window, police said. Rogers also pointed the shotgun at the couples 1-year-old child in an act of play, police said, believing the shotgun was not loaded.

Following [Rogers] play pointing the shotgun at their child, [Smith] stated both her and [Rogers] began to play with the shotgun by pointing it at each other and taking it away, police wrote. Their game continued for approximately 5-10 minutes until the shotgun accidentally discharged because [Smith] had her finger on the trigger when he attempted to take it away from her.

Smith then changed her story, saying she had pointed the gun at Rogers after he had taken it away from her and pointed it at her.

Smith then changed her story again, saying she accidentally shot Rogers while he attempted to grab the shotgun from her while on the phone with an ex-girlfriend.

Smith was charged with open murder with a deadly weapon and child endangerment.

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I-Team: Las Vegas woman kills boyfriend after he points shotgun at 1-year-old while playing game - KLAS - 8 News Now

Q: I had some holes in my drywall that I patched. I then sprayed on some texture and it looked pretty good. My problem is that I used some paint to touch up the patch and I can see exactly where the patch is. What can I do?

A: You can have the best patch in the world but if the paint doesnt match, its going to stand out like a three-legged racehorse. Youve got a couple of problems with touching up the paint: One is the color and the other is the sheen.

Many people have the original paint that was used on the walls and they expect it to match perfectly. Unfortunately, it does not. We run into this quite a bit. We can do a perfect drywall patch, but if the paint doesnt match, the customer wont be happy, even if he or she supplied the paint.

Maybe the number of years that the bucket sat in the garage changed its shade slightly, or maybe the sunlight shining on the wall bleached the old paint. Whatever the reason may be, you have a problem.

The simple solution is to paint the entire wall from corner to corner. Even if your paint is slightly off-color, when it is spread out over the entire wall, you wont be able to tell. You will be left with two slightly different colors at the corner where the new paint meets the old, but the difference will be imperceptible.

The bigger problem comes when you just want to do a little touching up. This could be a drywall patch or even scuffs on the walls from the kids.

Touching up a small area will be noticeable from some vantage point. When the paint dries, you may look at it straight on and it may blend in perfectly, but when you stand to the side you can tell, or it may look flawless in the morning but be noticeable in the afternoon. With touch-up painting, you have to be prepared for not-so-perfect results.

If you dont have any original paint, you can cut out a sample from an inconspicuous area. You can try a closet, but if the wall being touched up was beaten up by the sun, it may not match since the closet didnt have the same exposure. You will need to take a sample to a paint center for a color match.

The sample should be at least the size of a quarter, but I would cut one about 2 inches square. Use a utility knife and cut a square from the wall by pressing just hard enough to get through the paper face of the drywall.

Pry up one of the corners and peel it off of the wall.

When you get a color match, you can apply a little drywall mud to the back of the sample, stick it back on, and then blend it back in.

Apply the paint sparingly. Use a paintbrush and dab the paint on instead of brushing it. You want to use the least amount of paint necessary to achieve the least noticeable touch-up. As you approach the edges of the area, almost wipe the brush dry and feather the paint out. Wipe the brush several times along the rim of the paint can and with small strokes in an outward direction only, feather the paint out.

You also can use a mini-roller to feather out the paint. Use the roller dry and roll it outward from the new paint to the old and it will help to blend it in. You will get good results from either method, but if you are picky, then paint the entire wall.

Mike Klimek is a licensed contractor and owner of Las Vegas Handyman. Questions may be sent by email to handymanoflasvegas@msn.com. Or, mail to 4710 W. Dewey Drive, No. 100, Las Vegas, NV 89118. His web address is http://www.handymanoflasvegas.com.

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Touching up a small area with paint will always be noticeable - Las Vegas Review-Journal

Las Vegas Raiders punter A.J. Cole signed a four-year contract extension early in December and now he receives the news that fans and peers have voted him to his first Pro Bowl selection.

As the Raiders were preparing to take on the Cleveland Browns last Saturday, Cole was told he was selected to this years Pro Bowl for the first time in his young career.

I found out right before the game started. It was funny because you got to hear it, process it, and then just forget about it. Focus on the game, and then after the game, I kind of rethought about it. I kind of forgot about it completely during the game.

Im glad I was able to do that just because it is, its a lot. Its a cool thing to hear but it was awesome to go out there and get the win and then be able to celebrate the win and be able to celebrate that as well.

Coles journey to the NFL has been nothing short of an NFL dream. A four-year letterman at North Carolina State (2015-18). He finished his college career ranked second in program history in punting yards (9,288) and third in the program record book with a 42.2-yard punting average.

In 2019, Cole attended the Raiders rookie mini-camp to try out for the team, and it resulted in the Raiders finding a gem.

Yeah its crazy, its definitely not something, five, however many, years ago, I would have thought I would be here. Especially having to come to rookie minicamp and come on a tryout basis, Cole said.

The 26-year-old punter is having the best season of his career, he leads the NFL in punting with a league-best 50.6 yards per punt but it's the impact he has had on the field as a punter and place holder.

Its just a cool, cool journey. Its a cool experience. And Im so thankful for everybody thats just helped me along the way, for the people in this organization for believing in me and sticking with me, Cole added after the Raiders gave him a chance that paid off.

The Raiders will have the best punter in the league for the next four years and one less worry on this team.

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Raiders Cole Has Had A Cool Experience in the NFL - Sports Illustrated

There are 17 NFL officiating crews with eyes on the same players playing the same games in the same stadiums for the same 18 weeks every season.

But how is it that they see the games so differently?

Let me spotlight two crews, those of Carl Cheffers and Bill Vinovich.

Vinovich became an NFL referee in 2004 but suffered a health scare and did not return to full-time duty as a crew chief until 2013. Cheffers has been an NFL referee since 2008.

Cheffers has a high-penalty crew and Vinovich has a low-penalty crew. And the difference between the two is stark.

Since 2013, the Cheffers crew has finished first among the NFLs 17 officiating crews in penalties twice and leads again in 2021. It has finished second in penalties twice more and third once. This crew also finished seventh in penalties once and ninth twice. During the same nine-season stretch, the Vinovich crew never finished higher than 12th in the league in penalties. This crew has finished last in penalties twice and again ranks at the bottom in 2021.

The Vinovich crew has assessed 128 penalties for 1,076 yards this season. The Cheffers crew has assessed 202 penalties for 1,709 yards. How is it possible there could be a 74-penalty difference between the two crews? How is it that one crew can assess 600 more yards in penalties than another crew? Thats walking off six complete football fields.

When Cheffers has shown up in NFL stadiums this season, his crew has assessed an average of 14.4 penalties for 122.1 yards per game. When Vinovich has shown up, his crew has assessed an average of 9.8 penalties for 82.7 yards. Again, how and why the disparity? The average of the NFLs 17 crews is 12.3 penalties for 106.6 yards per game.

Cheffers has assessed 106 penalties for 888 yards on the home teams alone this season. It bears repeating that Vinovich has assessed only 128 penalties for 1,076 yards on both teams in his games this season.

After finishing second in the NFL in penalties in 2020, Cheffers was rewarded with the coveted Super Bowl assignment as referee for the game between the Chiefs and the Buccaneers. Even with an all-star officiating crew, we got what we expected penalty flags.

The Chiefs were assessed 11 penalties for 120 yards and there were a combined 15 penalties for 159 yards in the game. Kansas City was assessed a Super Bowl-record eight penalties for 95 yards in the first half alone, helping pave the way for an insurmountable 21-6 Tampa Bay lead.

On the flip side, Vinovichs crew worked the 2018 NFC title game between the Rams and Saints when there was no penalty flag on a late and obvious pass interference that cost New Orleans a trip to the Super Bowl.

The Vinovich crew will let calls go. The Cheffers crew will not. Its officiating to the extreme in both cases.

Cheffers has assessed at least 200 penalties in each of the last eight seasons, including 2021. No other crew has more than a current one-season streak of 200 penalties. The most penalties a Vinovich crew has ever assessed in a season was 188 in 2014 and still finished 12th among the 17 crews in penalties that season. The Cheffers crew, by the way, led the way that year with 237 penalties.

These two crews are the aberrations in 2021. The Cheffers crew has assessed 13 more penalties than the next highest crew (Shawn Hochuli). The Vinovich crew has assessed 16 fewer penalties than the next lowest crew (Ron Torbert). That said, theres still a 45-penalty and 369-yard disparity between the Hochuli and Torbert crews.

Ive been tracking officials since 2002 and it remains a mystery to me why crews watching the same players on the same fields playing the same games on the same days can see them so differently. There needs to be greater consistency in calls but the NFL seems clueless about how to attain that. And that hurts the game.

Rick Gosselin has covered the NFL for 49 years for United Press International, the Kansas City Star, and the Dallas Morning News. He has covered the Detroit Lions, New York Giants, Kansas City Chiefs, and Dallas Cowboys. He has been a Hall of Fame voter for 26 years and, in 2004, won the Bill Nunn Award for "long and distinguished reporting on professional football."

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NFL Officiating...Why the Disparity? - Sports Illustrated

Tuesday nights game in Las Vegas was anything but ordinary.

The Lightnings three-game road trip out west ended up being just one because of mass postponements triggered by teams hamstrung by COVID-19 issues. Less than 90 minutes before the start, the Lightning announced that head coach Jon Cooper wouldnt be on the bench because he had entered the NHLs COVID protocol. Until the puck dropped, there was question about whether the game even would be played.

Aside from the uncertainty, the game featured two teams leading their respective divisions that are potential Stanley Cup contenders.

Steven Stamkos scored on the power play midway through the third period, giving him a franchise-record 65 game-winning goals, as the Lightning (20-6-4) rallied from two down to beat the Golden Knights, 4-3.

It certainly wasnt the recipe that we want to continue, Stamkos said. But given the circumstances and whats gone on here the past week, we found a way to win a game that we probably shouldnt have, and well certainly take it.

Tampa Bay has won eight of its last nine games and heads into the holiday break with a league-high 44 points.

Here are three things we learned from the game at T-Mobile Arena:

For most of the first two periods, the Lightning were overwhelmed by Vegas speed. The Golden Knights dominated puck possession by executing their forecheck, taking away passing lanes and forcing the Lightning away from the front of the net.

After falling behind by two goals, Tampa Bay rebounded by slowing the game down and keeping things simple, resulting in not only its first stretch of sustained offensive zone time, but also two goals over a 43-second stretch late in the second period to tie the game at 3.

The Lightnings third line sparked the turnaround by controlling the tempo, forcing the puck deep and getting to the scoring areas.

Corey Perry parked behind the net and pinpointed a pass to Pierre-Edouard Bellemare for an open look in front of the net to cut the deficit to 3-2. The Lightning then used the boards, bouncing passes off them, to establish zone time and create space in front. Alex Killorns shot from above the right circle was rebounded into the net by Anthony Cirelli to tie the game with 2:10 remaining in the second period.

One shift can change momentum of the game, Stamkos said. (The third line) went out there and had a good typical grind shift, made a great play and scored a goal, and we score the next shift, I think. Its a game of momentum.

When Vegas Nicolas Roy danced through two Lightning defenders and beat Vasilevskiy with a forehand shot over his glove, the star goaltender showed a rare sign of frustration. But the reality was his teammates were allowing too many chances. Roys goal, which put the Golden Knights up 3-1 just over eight minutes into the second period, came on Vegas 26th shot of the game.

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Vasilevskiy made 38 saves, stopping the final 15 shots he faced, to improve his road record to 8-1-1. He got help from defenseman Ryan McDonagh, who cleared a puck that was heading into the net during a third-period penalty kill, but remained poised through a chaotic 6-on-5 in the final two minutes. During that stretch, Vasilevskiy faced nine shot attempts and four on goal.

It all starts with elite goaltending, so thats what a guy can do like Vasy, Stamkos said. He can keep you in a game. And when youre not playing well, he keeps it within one or two and gives us some hope at least when youre not playing well. So we saw that (Tuesday).

Rookie forward Gabriel Fortier had been a healthy scratch for the two games before Tuesday, the odd man out when Cirelli returned to the lineup. But Fortier drew into the lineup Tuesday, playing in the fourth-line spot typically occupied by rookie Boris Katchouk.

Fortier took advantage, scoring his first NHL goal 6:05 into the game. Mikhail Sergachev took possession of the puck in the Vegas zone and found Fortier on the left side, giving him an open slap shot at the left dot that beat Vegas goaltender Laurent Brossoit to give the Lightning a 1-0 lead.

Its awesome, Fortier said. Everyone talks about your first goal, and it was was just fun to get one (Tuesday), and Ill remember this moment for the rest of my life.

A side note: Just because Fortier wasnt playing, it didnt mean he wasnt getting valuable ice time. In Sundays practice, he had Nikita Kucherov and Brayden Point as his linemates. Fortier held his own playing the rush with two of the leagues most dynamic offensive players as they work their way back from injuries.

The Tampa Bay Times has commemorated the Lightnings second consecutive Stanley Cup title with a new hardcover coffee table book, Striking Twice. Order now.

Sign up for Lightning Strikes, a weekly newsletter from Bolts beat writer Eduardo A. Encina that brings you closer to the ice.

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3 things we learned from Lightnings win in Las Vegas - Tampa Bay Times

A new home for roast beef sandwiches right out of Los Angeles heads to the Las Vegas Strip in 2022. Top Round from Anthony Carron of 800 Degrees Pizza fame and Steven Fretz, who worked with Carron at Mina Group, takes over the former Bruxie space at the Park, anchored by T-Mobile Arena, with fast-casual fare.

Top Round, which enters the Nevada market for the first time, features roast beef marinated and then slow roasted for 10 hours, as well as breaded chicken sandwiches, curly fries, and frozen custard.

Roast beef sandwiches come in five regionally inspired renditions, including the Beef on Weck with the chains Atomic Horseradish and a caraway and sea salt bun, or the Horse & Hole, topped with St. Louis-famous Provel cheese, horseradish cream, and roasted mushrooms. The Beef & Cheese features Cheese Wizz made in house and proprietary Round Sauce.

The fried chicken sandwiches use all-natural chicken, brined in buttermilk and pickle juice. The curly fries can come plain, with Cheese Wizz, gravy, or Dirty with gravy, Provel cheese, caramelized onions, and Round Sauce.

Chicken wings, chicken tenders, vegetarian and gluten-free options such as crispy fried cauliflower wings served with house Buffalo sauce, and craft and draft beer choices round out the menu.

Once open, the restaurant will showcase a mid-century, motor-in design reminiscent of the original in Los Angeles. Diners can eat inside, head to the patio, or order takeout service.

Bruxie, which specialized in chicken and waffles, closed at the beginning of the pandemic and never reopened. Also on the way to the Park, Salt Bae and Nusr-Et Steakhouse. Sake Rok, the sushi restaurant, remains closed.

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6 Park Avenue, Las Vegas, NV 89109 (702) 706-3022

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Top Round opens on the Las Vegas Strip in 2022 - Eater Vegas

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Las Vegas landlord accused of shooting tenant multiple times in dispute over unpaid rent - FOX5 Las Vegas

The Cleveland Browns or at least a reasonable facsimile will welcome the Las Vegas Raiders to FirstEnergy Stadium on Monday for Clevelands penultimate home game of the regular season.

Cleveland is coming off a big win over the Baltimore Ravens that brought the Browns to just one game back in the AFC North Division. For their part, the Raiders are currently in their annual end-of-season slide as they have lost five of their past six games and got waxed by the Kansas City Chiefs last week.

That run of play would normally give the Browns a big edge, but they enter the game in the midst of a COVID-19 outbreak that has sidelined head coach Kevin Stefanski and more than 20 players, including so many starters that the Browns are currently down to Nick Mullens as QB1 and Kyle Lauletta as QB2.

No one is shedding any tears for the Browns, least of all the league office, so here is everything you need to know as Cleveland looks to keep the pressure on the Ravens with a win over the Raiders in a nationally televised game.

Records: Cleveland is 7-6. Las Vegas is 6-7

Conference records: Cleveland is 4-5. Las Vegas is 4-4

Kickoff: 5 p.m.

Stadium: FirstEnergy Stadium, Cleveland

TV: NFL Network (national), WOIO-19 (in Cleveland)

Announcers: Joe Davis, Kurt Warner, Melissa Stark (sidelines) and Steve Wyche (sidelines)

Radio: 92.3 The Fan (WKRK), ESPN 850 WKNR and WNCX (98.5)

Announcers: Jim Donovan, Doug Dieken, Nathan Zegura (sideline reporter)

Last meeting: The Raiders won the last meeting, 16-6, in Week 8 of the 2020 season. (Boxscore)

All-time series: The Raiders lead the all-time regular-season series, 14-10. The Browns last win at home against the Raiders came in Week 8 of the 2014 season.

Weather: 29 degrees and mostly clear, with a 5 percent chance of precipitation and 10 mph winds from the south (weather.com)

Uniform: The Browns will be wearing brown jerseys and white pants.

Injury report*: Browns - Questionable: tight end Harrison Bryant (ankle), defensive tackle Malik Jackson (knee) and wide receiver Anthony Schwartz (concussion). Out: running back Kareem Hunt (ankle) and cornerback Greg Newsome II. COVID-19: quarterback Baker Mayfield, quarterback Case Keenum, running back Kareem Hunt, offensive tackle Jedrick Wills Jr., offensive tackle James Hudson III, wide receiver Jarvis Landry, wide receiver JoJo Natson, tight end Austin Hooper, tight end Ross Travis, defensive end Jadeveon Clowney, defensive Ifeadi Odenigbo, defensive tackle Malik McDowell, linebacker Jacob Phillips, linebacker Mack Wilson Sr., linebacker Tony Fields II, cornerback Troy Hill, cornerback A.J. Green, safety John Johnson III, safety Ronnie Harrison Jr., safety Grant Delpit, safety Nate Meadors and punter Jamie Gillan.

Raiders - Questionable: defensive end Carl Nassib (knee). Out: tight end Darren Waller (knee/back), linebacker Denzel Perryman (ankle) and cornerback Trayvon Muller (toe).

*Subject to change as the NFL moved the final roster decisions for the game to Monday at 2 p.m.

The line: Browns -3

What will the offense look like? - Cleveland comes into the game without its top two quarterbacks, one of its best running backs, a tight end, a member of the offensive line and one of their top wide receivers.

So what does new quarterback Nick Mullens have to work with?

Well, there are still running backs Nick Chubb and DErnest Johnson, who should wake up Tuesday morning extremely tired after a busy day of work.

Tight end David Njoku is also back after a stay on the Reserve/COVID-19 list, and wide receivers Donovan Peoples-Jones and Rashard Higgins have shown their ability in the past.

The key to everything is how the offensive line will hold up with Blake Hance and Alex Taylor (probably) stepping into starting roles at the tackle spots.

That will be a tall task given that they will be going up against Las Vegas defensive ends Maxx Crosby and Yannick Ngakoue, who have combined for 14 sacks and 42 quarterback hits this season.

If Hance and Taylor can do a decent enough job and not get Mullens, Chubb or Johnson destroyed, then the offense might be able to do enough to keep the Browns in the game.

Keep an eye on the slot The Browns struggle to contain even the most average of tight ends, so they are catching a break as Las Vegas tight end Darren Waller has been ruled out with knee and back injuries.

That doesnt mean it will be an easy afternoon, however, as wide receiver Hunter Renfrow has caught at least five passes in all but two games and was one of the lone bright spots against the Chiefs, finishing with 13 catches and 117 yards.

The Browns are down cornerbacks Greg Newsome II and Troy Hill, along with all their of their starting safeties, so while keeping an eye on Renfrow might not be easy, he is someone the defense needs to focus on.

Win the turnover battle - The Browns have rediscovered their mojo on defense in recent weeks thanks to turnovers, as they have forced eight turnovers in the past three games.

On the flip side, the Raiders have given the ball away 12 times in their past six games, including five turnovers last week against the Chiefs.

Forcing some turnovers and giving the offense a short field is always good; with no one really knowing what the Browns will get from their quarterback or offensive line, it could be the difference between a Victory Tuesday celebration and another frustrating defeat.

Quarterback Nick Mullens (via a team-provided transcript):

I think we have done a great job. I really do. We are meeting virtually, and we practiced today. The energy is off the charts. I think that is the coolest thing about it. We have one practice to prepare for the Raiders, and the energy was great. We were excited to be out there playing football, doing what we love and doing our jobs. Like I said, the focus, the energy and the camaraderie, it is still there, and we are excited.

These are just a few things to keep an eye on; now it is time to have your say. What are you looking for from the Browns in Mondays game against the Raiders?

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Cleveland Browns vs. Las Vegas Raiders: Week 15 Need to Know - Dawgs By Nature

On Monday, the Cleveland Browns take on the Las Vegas Raiders. To help preview a few topics from the Raiders perspective, we reached out to Matt Holder from Silver and Black Pride and exchanged five questions with him. Enjoy!

Chris: The Raiders are 1-5 since their bye week what has caused Las Vegas to go from the hottest team in the league to start the year, to now being under .500?

Matt: I wish I could pinpoint one or two things but its really been a collection of issues, both on and off the field. The Henry Ruggs tragedy happened right before the Raiders were set to return from the bye and the offense hasnt been the same since. Wide receivers are struggling to get open and when they do, Derek Carr hasnt been able to find or connect with them. Carr also has seen a major dip in play without Ruggs in the lineup and the offense just isnt as explosive as it was at the beginning of the season.

Las Vegas defense hasnt been that bad, minus the two Chiefs games, or at least not as bad as the scores might indicate. They held the Football Team and Giants to 17 points - New York had a pick-six to make it 23 - and the Bengals just controlled the ball and broke away late because the Raiders offense couldnt do anything all game so the defense got worn down. However, the Raiders defense couldnt get stops when the offense did score points, another common theme since the bye, so the team just isnt playing complimentary football right now.

Also, this is the third year in a row that the Raiders have started out hot, only to flame out down the stretch of the season so, in a way, this is just what they do. Im sure Browns fans can relate, its been tough to be a Raider fan over the last 20 years.

Chris: Hunter Renfrow has been lighting it up, despite the Raiders losing streak, taking advantage of the targets not there with Henry Ruggs gone and Darren Waller injured. Where do the Raiders usually line Renfrow up?

Matt: Renfrow has definitely taken advantage of the extra targets without Waller and Ruggs in the lineup, but Renfrow has been lighting it up all season and the boxscore is just reflecting that more now. Hes been the Raiders most consistent offensive player all year and has become Carrs favorite target because he always finds a way to get open.

As for where hell line up, the Raiders almost exclusively put Renfrow in the slot. Hes become one of the leagues best slot receivers this season, and his shiftiness helps him create separation before the catch and make people after.

Chris: What has been the Raiders biggest issue defensively?

Matt: Id say run defense and that could be even worse this week with run-stuffing linebacker Denzel Perryman out for the second game in a row. This is my biggest concern with the Raiders against the Browns as I think Nick Chubb could easily run rampant on the defense. Las Vegas defensive tackles struggle to hold up at the point of attack so even with Wyatt Teller out, I think Cleveland has an advantage in the trenches with Joel Bitonio and JC Tretter in the middle.

The Raiders pass defense really isnt all that bad. They have a good pass rush led by Maxx Crosby and Yannick Ngakoue, and they have a decent coverage unit with veteran Casey Hayward playing at a Pro Bowl level this year and Trevon Moehrig putting together a solid rookie campaign. However, Las Vegas hasnt gotten much pass rush from their defensive tackles recently, theyll be starting a backup corner in Brandon Facyson and they dont have a safety outside of Moehrig that can cover.

Chris: Its crazy how the Browns will be missing like 40% of their roster, including half of their starters, due to COVID-19. However, as of this question, the Browns still have two important pieces defensively in Myles Garrett and Jadeveon Clowney. How has the Raiders offensive line been handling opposing teams pass rushes?

Matt: In short, terrible.

Kolton Miller, the left tackle, has been a stud most of the last season, minus last week, so itll be fun to watch how he handles guys like Garrett and Clowney. But Brandon Parker is on the other side and is a turnstile at tackle so Id expect the Browns to deploy their pass rushers there.

Center Andre James has had his ups and downs this season, but hes been pretty consistent as a pass blocker. He will struggle against powerful bull rushers from time to time but hes not the biggest issue Las Vegas has up front. That would be the guards, John Simpson and Alex Leatherwood. To be blunt, both are pretty awful pass rushers so I would be surprised to see Cleveland put their studs on the inside, thats what Id do.

Chris: Tell us about one player who Browns fans may not have heard of, but who could have an impact on this Sundays game.

Matt: Ill go with rookie edge rusher Malcolm Koonce. Koonce didnt make his debut until a couple of weeks ago and has only played on a handful of snaps, but hes managed to get two sacks in two games. Hes a player Im excited to watch down the stretch of the season and should get more playing time now that the Raiders playoff hopes are slim to none. Also, with Cleveland playing two backup tackles this week, I think the rookie has a chance to make a name for himself on a national stage.

Thanks again to Matt for taking the time to answer my questions.

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Scouting the Browns Week 15 opponent: Las Vegas Raiders - Our Q&A with Silver and Black Pride - Dawgs By Nature