Raiders' Karl Joseph Delivers Second Game-Stopping Play This Week
After holding off the Detroit Lions this past Sunday, the Oakland Raiders had an almost immediate turn around in preparation for a Thursday night bout with the Los Angeles Chargers. In eerily similar fashion to how Sunday's game ended, the Chargers were driving late in the fourth quarter when Karl Joseph, that of West Virginia fame, surged over from his safety spot to bulldog his way into a game-sealing interception.
It seems as though the former first rounder, whose progress has undulated across the good/bad spectrum during his first four years in the league, is finally riding an upward trend. His two clutch plays against Detroit and LA only days apart should count as huge currency not only with new head coach Jon Gruden, but with his teammates as well.
Unfortunately, the NFL gods are a fickle bunch. Joseph appeared to injure his foot late in last night's game and, according to ESPN's Ian Rappaport, Joseph may be bracing for some injury rehab of an undetermined duration. If true, it's brutal timing for the Orlando native, whose window on his rookie deal is about to close. Here's hoping that he dodges the injury bug and can continue to fuel his hot streak.
As of last night, Joseph has tallied 38 solo tackles, three passes defended and an interception in 2019.