A Marcus Epps injury is the cherry on top of a bad week of Las Vegas Raiders news.
Have you recovered from Sunday’s deflating loss yet, Raider Nation? After stunning the NFL-world by picking up a win on the road against the Baltimore Ravens in Week 2, the Las Vegas Raiders headed back to Sin City for their home-opener in Week 3. For the second week in a row, the Silver and Black shocked fans and pundits alike; not in the way they’d hoped to, however.
Andy Dalton and the 0-2 Carolina Panthers traveled to Las Vegas in Week 3 and left with a 36-22 win. Add another win to Andy Dalton’s resume, giving the 36-year-old a 5-0 career record against the Raiders.
As deflating as the loss was – and it certainly was deflating – it doesn’t have to mean much. The season is only three weeks young and teams league-wide are still trying to figure things out. Even teams such as the San Francisco 49ers and Baltimore Ravens have more losses than they do wins early in their ’24 campaign.
In fact, it seems that the Kansas City Chiefs and Buffalo Bills are the only two teams in the AFC that have their answers already.
It’s true; the Raiders’ embarrassing Week 3 loss doesn’t have to mean much of anything. What does mean a lot, however, is the loss of Marcus Epps in Las Vegas’ secondary.
Epps, a team captain last season, serves as a do-it-all defensive back. With seven stops on the season, only Maxx Crosby (8) and Robert Spillane (12) have totaled more stops than Epps.
At the end of Sunday’s contest, Epps suffered an injury that took him out the remainder of the game. It was confirmed on Monday that the veteran safety tore his ACL, consequently ending his season early.
Enter, Isaiah Pola-Mao.
Raiders News: Marcus Epps suffers season-ending injury, Isaiah Pola-Mao set to fill in
When Epps went down against the Panthers, Pola-Mao finished the game in his place. In 27 snaps, Pola-Mao earned a 74.8 grade via Pro Football Focus; the highest grade among all Raiders’ defenders in Week 3.
On the season, Pola-Mao has recorded four tackles for two stops with a goose egg in the missed tackles column. He’s lined up at various places in the secondary, recording 11 snaps as a deep-safety, 14 snaps in the box, and seven plays lined up at slot.
Versatility is just one thing the 25-year-old safety brings to the table for the Las Vegas Raiders. Pola-Mao’s 6-foot-4 height and 76-inch wingspan are two other invaluable assets.
Epps, in comparison, stands 6-foot even with a 71-inch wingspan. Tre’von Moehrig, Sin City’s other starting safety, stands 6-foot even with a 73-inch wingspan. Pola-Mao towers over both while offering an unmatched arm-length.
And don’t forget the ball skills.
Last season, Pola-Mao notched his first career interception against the Miami Dolphins. He came close to earning another interception this last Sunday, too. During this year’s preseason, he got his hands on the ball to break up a pass.
In addition to his versatility, Pola-Mao brings size, ball skills, and sure-tackling to the Las Vegas Raiders’ secondary. Losing a player like Marcus Epps is never easy, but when you have a talented young safety to plug into the starting lineup in his absence, it’s a little easier.
