Las Vegas Raiders DVOA, Stats, & NFL Rankings

Las Vegas Raiders rookie tight end Brock Bowers was targeted just six times and caught three passes for 35 yards in the Monday night loss to the Atlanta Falcons. Quarterback Desmond Ridder, who was starting in place of the injured Aidan O'Connell (knee), simply did not look the rookie sensation's way many times. Ridder has struggled throughout his career, and one way he could have had a better game is if he had thrown it to his TE more. Bowers is still elite, but fantasy managers will be hoping O'Connell can return to action in Week 16. He shouldn't be benched for any reason, but obviously, his ceiling is much lower with Ridder at QB. The Raiders will face the Jacksonville Jaguars, who have the second-worst overall pass defense in the last 25 years, so the rookie TE should bounce back next week.

Las Vegas Raiders running back Sincere McCormick (ankle) is listed as questionable to return for Monday's game against the Atlanta Falcons. McCormick was forced to exit in the second quarter due to an ankle issue. The team will likely evaluate him at halftime to see if he'll be able to return for the second half. Before exiting, McCormick rushed for eight yards on seven carries and hauled in two receptions for 17 yards. The expectation is that Alexander Mattison will see the bulk of the carries until McCormick returns. Ameer Abdullah could also be in the mix for this Raiders rushing attack that has struggled all season long.

Seattle Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald said on Monday that tests on quarterback Geno Smith's right knee came back positive. "Hopefully we'll see him practice throughout the week," Macdonald says. In addition to the team expecting Smith to practice this week, they are optimistic that he will take most of the snaps at practice. Smith was forced from Sunday night's loss to the Green Bay Packers with a knee injury in the third quarter and never returned, but at least as of right now, the Seahawks are expecting him to practice and play in Week 16 versus the Minnesota Vikings. We'll keep a close eye on Smith's status in practices this week, and if he ends up not being ready to play, Sam Howell would be in line for his first start of the year. Howell looked like a deer in headlights in relief, going 5-for-14 for 24 yards and an interception while taking four sacks.

Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Desmond Ridder will start in a revenge game against his former team, the Atlanta Falcons, on Monday Night Football. Meanwhile, Aidan O'Connell (knee), who was listed as questionable with a bone bruise in his left knee, is officially inactive and will serve as the emergency third QB. O'Connell was initially feared to have suffered a season-ending knee injury when he was hurt in the Week 14 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but it ended up being a bone bruise. If he recovers this week, O'Connell could be an option for the Raiders in Week 16 versus the Jacksonville Jaguars, but it might also depend on how Ridder fares against Atlanta. The 25-year-old will be making his first start of the year after going 12-for-18 for 101 yards in relief of O'Connell in Week 14. With limited offensive weapons around him, we're expecting Ridder to struggle to move the ball consistently on Monday.

During his weekly appearance on Seattle Sports 710AM, Seattle Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald noted that quarterback Geno Smith (knee) "seemed optimistic" regarding his injury when the two exchanged texts on Monday morning. "He seemed optimistic this morning texting with him, so we've got that going for us," Macdonald said. The head coach also reported that, as of now, there's a possibility Smith could play in Week 16 when Seattle hosts the visiting Minnesota Vikings. The good news is that the 34-year-old has no breaks, and his knee is structurally intact. However, Macdonald was still awaiting test results at the time of his appearance on air. Quarterback Sam Howell filled in for the veteran in the team's loss to the Green Bay Packers in Week 15 and would do so again if Smith weren't healthy enough for the meeting with Minnesota. Expect an update on him shortly.