As the Raiders (2-8) look to end their six-game losing streak against an up-and-coming Denver team, Las Vegas could turn to one of its young players to carry the offensive load.
Raiders head coach Antonio Pierce announced in his media release that Las Vegas' top two running backs, Alexander Mattison and Zamir White, did not practice on Wednesday.
“Yeah, so two running backs won't be practicing today and neither will Jack Jones. So next man up mentality. Get some of these younger guys some reps, see how they do and hopefully we’ll have those guys back by the end of the week,” Pierce said.
Pierce also outlined the Raiders' running back plans if they were to be without both Mattison and White against Denver. It features a 10-year NFL veteran and a rookie that fans will be excited to get an in-depth look at.
“Yeah, I mean, you’re looking at Ameer [Abdullah]looks at Dylan [Laube]and then we got Sincere [McCormick] there on the practice team. So get him some reps and get him going. Of course, since these two gentlemen are not training today, we will definitely train everyone else,” Pierce said.
Abdullah, a 10th year pro enters Week 12 with 17 carries for 82 rushing yards and a rushing score this 2024 season. The 5-foot-9, 203-pound running back has also caught 17 passes for 76 receiving yards and a score in 2024.
Laube is a rookie out of New Hampshire and was selected 208th in the sixth round of the 2024 NFL draft. The 5-foot-10, 208-pound running back has won just once this season in the Raiders' 32-13 loss in Week 6 .
In his career at New Hampshire, Laube ran 544 times for 2,678 yards and 29 touchdowns.
Pierce sheds light on what he has seen from Laube so far.
“The key word here is work ethic because he’s a scout team guy that runs back there and gives us a good look,” Pierce said of his rookie back. “Obviously we had a few mistakes early on, we talked about that with ball security. And here's another great example, right? Well, here's your chance. Are you ready?
“And we talked about it. I always talk about rookies, our younger players, you never know when your name is going to be called, your number is going to be called. And if it's this week, be prepared. But I have to say this: He shows up every day and is in the building as early as most of our vets. He's prepared, he goes to training, trains hard. He looks good, has a smile on his face and works.”
While Laube could suddenly emerge as one of the central focal points of the Raiders' rushing attack against the Broncos, the health of Mattison and White will obviously continue to be important storylines to monitor later this week.
Mattison leads the Raiders in rushing on the season with 320 rushing yards and three rushing touchdowns on 97 carries. White has 183 rushing yards and one score on 65 totes this season.
Kickoff between the Raiders and Broncos is scheduled for 1:05 p.m. PT at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas. The Raiders lost 34-18 to the Broncos in the first meeting between the two teams this season on October 6th.