HENDERSON, Nev. – Second-year Raiders cornerback Jakorian Bennett is starting to emerge as one the premier players at the position. He earned some attention on social media with his performance against Jamarr Chase in the Raiders loss at Cincinnati two weeks ago, holding Chase to just 43 yards on seven receptions.
Sunday’s game presents Bennett with another opportunity to raise his profile as he’ll primarily be the one shadowing Tyreek Hill. On the downs he isn’t, he’ll be covering Jaylen Waddle. It’s proven to be an insurmountable task for many corners over the last two seasons, but a speedy, shutdown corner like Bennett is the kind of player best suited to stop those two on any given down.
“They got fast guys, speed everywhere,” Bennett said. “We’ve got to protect the edges, protect the deep part of the field and do what we’re supposed to do. You’ve got to protect the deep part of the field. I know my game is built on speed, I know I’m a fast guy, so it’s definitely going to be fun.”
Nobody can do what (Tyreek) can do. He’s his own person. He has elite, elite speed. He’s good in and out of his break, he’s good with YAC after the catch. He’s unique, just his overall game. Nobody else can do that, so you definitely have to come with a good plan.”
Hill has been somewhat human this season, all things considered. Given how Bennett has looked in recent weeks, he could be primed for another breakout performance on Sunday.
The Raiders overhauled their entire offensive coaching staff before the bye-week, firing offensive coordinator Luke Getsy as well as quarterbacks coach Rick Scarangello and offensive line coach James Cregg.
In their absence, the Raiders named Scott Turner the interim offensive coordinator for the remainder of the season. The Raiders also named Turner’s father Norv as a senior offensive analyst. Yes, that Norv Turner.
“(Norv) is legendary status,” Alexander Mattison said. “To have his presence, he’s funny, fun to be around. It helps us loosen up, helps us go out there and be confident in the offense and be confident in our job within the scheme. It’s fun to see a father-son duo, it’s one of those things that just gives you a little bit more juice when you see that and it’s fun to be around.”
The elder turner has been known for implementing effective power-run schemes over the course of his career, most notably when he was head coach of the Chargers from 2007 to 2012 with the legendary Ladanian Tomlinson in his backfield. There’s no LT on this Raiders roster, but any improvement in their run scheme is welcome at this point.
“It feels good,” Mattison said. “Looking at the game plan, looking at what we’re expecting to go in and put on tape and what we expect from each other. The (O-line) is doing a great job preparing. I think that we looked at the game, looked at their previous schemes and we’ve seen some opportunities and some things we can go out and execute."
Sunday’s game will be the first opportunity for Raider Nation to see if their new offensive outfit is any better than the last. If nothing else, the Turner appointment has certainly been an emotional boost at Raiders Way.
“It’s exciting to see the way that this offense is coming together, the way that we’re able to just kind of own and go out there and play fast," Mattison said. "Coming off the bye, we’re going to get some guys that are a bit more healthy than they’ve been. It’s exciting, I’m excited for us to continue growing within this offense as a team and to go down to Miami and play winning football.”