Raiders report: 2 starters in secondary out against Chiefs
The Raiders will once again have notable absences in their secondary when they play the Chiefs on Friday.
Cornerbacks Jakorian Bennett (shoulder) and Nate Hobbs (ankle) are out this week, coach Antonio Pierce said Wednesday.
Rookie Decamerion Richardson played every snap on defense in Sunday’s loss to the Broncos with Bennett and Hobbs hurt. The fourth-round pick was targeted often by Denver, a game plan Kansas City may replicate. Pierce said he liked how Richardson responded, however.
“Short-term memory. You play corner in this league, they’re going to catch some balls on you,” Pierce said. “But he never flinched and never blinked.
“He’s going to be a good corner. He has the mentality, the speed and the mindset of what we want our Raider corners to look like. The production will come over time.”
Running back Zamir White (quad) is doubtful and running back Alexander Mattison (ankle) is questionable after both missed the Broncos game.
Pierce, regardless of whether White or Mattison plays, believes practice-squad running back Sincere McCormick earned additional reps this week after gaining 33 yards on five carries against Denver.
“I’m excited about Sincere this week,” Pierce said. “It’s just about opportunity. You can’t dress five running backs every week. You don’t want to see it happen through injuries, but he gets in there and his first carry is for 10-plus yards.”
McCormick has been in the Raiders’ organization since 2022 and has spent most of that time on the practice squad. He’s drawn consistent praise for his running ability.
“I’m just excited to continue my journey and display my talents on the field just to thank everyone around me that has supported me this whole time,” McCormick said. “This isn’t the end, it’s just the beginning.”
McMahon back
Special teams coordinator Tom McMahon is with the Raiders again after missing Sunday’s game with an illness.
“He’s back in the building,” Pierce said. “He’s been at practice. We’ll see what happens for the game.”
McMahon’s unit excelled in his absence. The Raiders executed a successful fake punt, got a long kick return and made all four of their field-goal attempts against the Broncos. Several special teams players said they were playing for McMahon on Sunday.
“It’s good to have his mind and leadership back,” long snapper Jacob Bobenmoyer said. “(Assistant special teams coordinator Derius Swinton II) did a great job of carrying on the message of what Tom was sending all week and throughout the season and he did a great job calling the game. But having Tom back just adds to that and makes us know that as good as our performance was without him, it will be that much better with him.”
Gearing up for battle
The Raiders have been pumping in quite a bit of sound at practice to prepare for one of the noisiest environments in the NFL on Friday.
That includes the infamous battle cry that often echoes throughout Arrowhead Stadium.
“They’ve been hearing that war chant for the last 48 hours,” Pierce said. “They’re ready to kill me on that one, so they’ll hear it again today. I’m sure we’ll hear it on Friday.”
Not only does it prepare players for the sound, but it serves as a reminder that it’s a rivalry game.
“The rivalry is what it is,” Pierce said. “I think if you look at the last couple games, we’ve played them close. It’s been back and forth and it’s been physical, and they’re going to come after us. We know them, they know us, and there’s a lot of trash talking. And they don’t like the color of Silver and Black, and we don’t like red. So, it should be fun.”
Preparing for Pacheco
Kansas City expects starting running back Isiah Pacheco to return from an extended absence this week and provide a boost to its ground attack.
Pacheco has not played since suffering an ankle injury Sept. 15, but Pierce expects him to make an immediate impact.
“I love watching him play and I hate playing against him,” Pierce said. “Tough, rugged. He’s a running back that you enjoy watching, and our team is excited to play him. I mean, I go back to that Christmas Day (game last season) and how hard he was running and how hard we were hitting him, helmets flying off, and this dude gets up with the dreads. I mean, he energizes their team. So, it’s a tough matchup. We’ve got to bring our hard-hat mentality for him.”
Contact Adam Hill at ahill@reviewjournal.com. Follow @AdamHillLVRJ on X.