The Las Vegas Raiders may play the role of spoiler in Week 13. The Los Angeles Chargers are ahead in the game in a tight race for the AFC Wild Card spot, currently tied with the Jacksonville Jaguars and Buffalo Bills, while the Houston Texans, Pittsburgh Steelers/Baltimore Ravens and Houston Texans are ahead by just one game.
However, we continue to focus on the Raiders’ young players for this week’s key fixtures, despite Pete Carroll making it more difficult…
Darian Porter vs. Quentin Johnston
As mentioned in the statement above, one of the recent frustrations with Carroll is that he is giving playing time to QB Blue Kelly instead of Porter. But, to the coach’s credit, the rookie has seen the field more often over the past month, recording three starts and 147 defensive snaps in Las Vegas’ last four games, according to Pro Football Focus.
According to PFF, Porter has put up good statistics when called upon, receiving 11 targets and six catches for 74 yards, with five of those catches and 65 yards coming in a game against the Jaguars. Granted, the rookie has made a few mistakes where he is beaten and either is not caught or bails out due to an errant pass.
However, Kelly has been far from a shutdown corner, to say the least, so there’s still no reason why the third-round pick shouldn’t get the lion’s share of reps on Sunday.
Meanwhile, Johnson has become a key factor in Los Angeles’ offense this season. He is the offense’s fourth-leading receiver with 502 yards, but quarterback Justin Herbert is spreading the ball around. Johnson is only 142 yards behind the team’s top wideout, Ladd McConkey.
Additionally, the third-year pro has been the Chargers’ biggest receiving threat this season, leading the team with seven catches, 205 yards and three touchdowns of 20 or more yards from the line of scrimmage, according to PFF. Additionally, he is second only to Keenan Allen in contested targets (15 to 20) and contested catches (eight to 10), along with owning a high passing success rate (53.3 percent to 50 percent).
Considering those numbers and the fact that Johnson is 6-foot-3, that makes for a very interesting matchup on the perimeter with a 6-foot-3 corner who has 4.3 speed.
Jeremy Chinn vs. Oronde Gadsden II
Chin’s inclusion is stretching the definition of “young players” as he will turn 28 at the end of February. But the Raiders are in a position where they must evaluate who can be part of the organization’s long-term plan, and he’s only on a two-year contract.
Chinn could face a tough challenge, especially if the club leans into a rebuild this offseason, as his deal only has $6.25 million of dead cap space if he is cut and traded for $2 million, while those respective scenarios save approximately $3.4 million and $7.6 million of cap space, according to Over the Cap. In other words, the veteran still has something to prove over the next six weeks.
This Sunday could go a long way toward strengthening the case for a free-agent addition, given that Gadsden has emerged as a legitimate threat in Los Angeles.
The rookie tight end was a healthy scratch during the first two weeks of the season, but has since been a fixture on offense, finishing third on the team with 37 catches and 507 yards in nine games. He rushed for at least 40 yards six times and turned heads with a seven-catch, 164-yard, one-touchdown performance in Week 7 against the Indianapolis Colts.
Meanwhile, Chinn has posted good numbers in coverage this season, giving up only 177 receiving yards to earn a 71.1 coverage grade from PFF. Additionally, he has given up more than 40 yards on targets in just two games, setting up a contest between the rookie and the six-year veteran to see who throws first.
Thomas Booker IV vs. Mekhi Becton
The Raiders need someone to step up at defensive tackle, and the coaching staff has given Booker plenty of opportunities to prove himself. He has played in all 11 games, starting nine, and recorded 362 total snaps on the year.
However, the 26-year-old hasn’t taken advantage of the reps, posting just 14 pressures (six since Week 3), while recording only seven ‘defensive stops’ against the run and a 45.8 PFF run defense grade. For context, these stats rank 55th, 87th, and 111th, respectively, among qualifying defensive tackles this season (80 pass rush snaps, 54 run defense snaps).
It’s time for Booker to either step up or make way for someone else to step into his role, and a similar statement can be made about the Chargers’ right guard.
Becton revived his career by winning a Super Bowl with the Philadelphia Eagles last season, earning a two-year, $20 million contract from Los Angeles in the offseason. But the Chargers didn’t get what they bargained for, as he ranks 86th out of 89 qualifying guards (minimum 167 snaps) in 2025 with a 40.5 overall PFF grade. The former Eagle has marks in the 40s as both a run blocker (41.4) and pass protector (47.9).
According to Over the Cap, the Chargers could move on from Becton this spring and take on just $2.5 million in dead cap, saving $10 million. In other words, the loser of this contest may have to look for a job in the spring.
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