Las Vegas Raiders rookie may have just fixed a major issue, and the team could end up never looking back
The Las Vegas Raiders are in a great position for the future of the offensive line, even if it’s not amazing right now. Rookie Trey Zuhn is a huge reason why.
On Sunday against the New York Jets, we saw an amazing version of the Las Vegas Raiders offense in the second half. That was maybe the best it’s looked all season. And there was definitely some concern. The offense struggled a bit the week before, and they threw rookie offensive lineman Trey Zuhn into the starting rotation.
Unknowns loomed everywhere entering this game. But Zuhn played well. The offense was efficient. And it was especially good in pass protection.
“That’s usually the best linemen are when you don’t even know they’re there. I didn’t really know Trey was there today, so that’s a good sign,” quarterback Kirk Cousins said.
Zuhn didn’t stick out at all. That’s good. There wasn’t one moment when he made a bad play that made me pause the game and rewind, or anything like that. And you remember those. Even Tyler Linderbaum was pancaked on one play late in the fourth quarter, allowing Mike Washington to get tackled for a loss in the red zone.
Zuhn didn’t have any plays like that, at least none that stood out on the initial watch. So, this begs a new question. Should the Raiders make him the starter every week now?
What’s the move at right guard for the Raiders now?
The Raiders have a tough decision now. What do they do with Jackson Powers-Johnson? Do they try to trade him before the trade deadline? What do they do with Caleb Rogers? Is Zuhn the starter, or is this a case of the other team not being prepared for Zuhn?
I think we still need another week to find that out. Zuhn is good, and he can play any position. Not to mention, he’s really polished for being a rookie. However, this is one game, and it’s important to remember that ot could be the very opposite next game. The Raiders still have to be excited about Zuhn’s potential. They’ll face a real test next week against the San Francisco 49ers.
