Raiders Opponent Breakout Player: Jabrill Peppers
Coming off of a victory over the Green Bay Packers, the Las Vegas Raiders will look to keep the momentum going against the New England Patriots on Sunday.
While the Patriots are 1-4 and are struggling in several areas, they are still a good defensive team. Coach Josh McDaniels and the Raiders cannot overlook the Patriots because of their record, as they have been in several close games this season.
The Patriots have good, young talent on their roster, and one of those players is safety Jabrill Peppers. While he has been around the league for a few years, Peppers has produced consistent play on the field in New England over the last few seasons.
Peppers joined the Patriots in April of 2022 after stints with the Cleveland Browns and New York Giants. He was selected with the No. 25 overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft out of Michigan by the Browns and was traded to the Giants two years later.
Peppers was an elite player for the Wolverines and played multiple positions. He has played only safety in the NFL but has the play style of a linebacker and is relentless in defending the run.
Throughout his first few years in the league, Peppers’ aggressive play style and inconsistent production cost him and his teams on the field. Since joining the Patriots, Peppers joined Coach Bill Belichick’s defense, often putting players in the best position to succeed.
Peppers started only five games last season but has started all five games this season and has been one of the best players on the Patriots’ defense. Through those five games, he has posted 30 total tackles, two tackles for losses, one pass defended and a forced fumble. He is a massive reason the Patriots have allowed the sixth-fewest passing yards in the league this season.
Raiders quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo has been turnover-prone this season, leading the NFL with seven interceptions. He must see the field better against Peppers and the Patriots’ secondary.
Despite the Patriots’ struggles this season, they feature one of the top defenses in the league, and Peppers, after struggling with consistency throughout the early years of his career, has found a home in New England and become one of its top defensive players.
The Silver and Black will stay home at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas to play the New England Patriots on Sunday, Oct. 15, at 4:05 p.m. EDT/1:05 p.m. PDT.
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