X-Factors: Oakland Raiders vs. Atlanta Falcons

X-Factors for both the Oakland Raiders and the Atlanta Falcons, looking ahead to their Week 2 matchup.

If the Raiders plan to start the regular season 2-0 for the first time since 2002, yes, they’ll need players like Derek Carr, Amari Cooper and Khalil Mack to perform like how they are capable of.

If the Falcons hope to bounce back with a W after losing in Week 1, yes, they’ll need Julio Jones to have a big day, and for Desmond Trufant to shut down Cooper.

But what about outside of the star players? In any given week, a surprise performance could be the difference between a win and a loss.

Let’s take a look at X-Factors for both the Raiders and the Falcons — one player on each side of the ball for both teams.

Dec 6, 2015; Oakland, CA, USA; Oakland Raiders wide receiver Michael Crabtree (15) runs with the ball after making a catch against the Kansas City Chiefs in the first quarter at O.co Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports

Michael Crabtree

Crabtree might not even qualify as he is a notable name on the Raiders offense, but considering the matchup that Cooper faces, Crab is going to have to be the number one option on Sunday.

With Trufant expected to shadow Amari, that would leave Robert Alford to cover Crabtree. Alford made considerable improvements last season, and was quietly one of the better players on the 2015 Falcons defense. Crabtree, of course, made considerable improvements of his own in his first season in Oakland, and earned himself a nice payday as a result.

So in a battle between Crabtree and Alford — both of whom are quality players in their own right, but have a star player ahead of them on the depth chart — who is going to come out on top?

If Crabtree can top the 100-yard mark with a touchdown added in, then that will greatly increase the chances of the Raiders coming away with a victory. If Alford can keep Crab contained, maybe somewhere in the four catches for 40 yards ballpark, then it’s hard to see the Raiders offense putting enough points on the board to win the game.

Tevin Coleman

Devonta Freeman is the workhorse back for the Falcons — his fantastic 2015 season made sure of that. But Tevin Coleman is no slouch, and will have plenty of opportunity this year to make an impact for Atlanta.

Coleman’s impact was felt in Week 1, specifically through the air. Coleman hauled in six catches for 95 yards — which is a great day for a wide receiver, yet alone a running back. To make that even more impressive, four of Coleman’s five catches went for a first down — one went for 47 yards, one was 21 yards, and two were 16 yards.

With 4.39 speed, Coleman is a big play waiting to happen. He wasn’t effective on the ground in Week 1, but that could easily change against the Raiders, especially considering Oakland’s defense is yet to play up to its potential.

It’ll be up to Ben Heeney and Malcolm Smith to cover Coleman out of the backfield. So, yeah. This could be another big day for Coleman.

David Amerson

Sean Smith was all the rage after Week 1, and not for good reasons. Brandin Cooks torched Smith so badly that he was benched for D.J. Hayden, which says a lot. With Julio Jones up next, Smith’s job doesn’t get any easier.

Which brings us to David Amerson. There is an argument to be made for Amerson matching up on Julio, instead of Smith.

Smith is nearly identical in size to Julio, so this might actually be a better matchup for Smith than Cooks was. But there is a notable athleticism difference between the two, and that’s where Amerson comes in.

Amerson is a superior athlete to Smith, with better top-end and change of direction speed, both of which will be needed to keep up with Julio. Amerson also has plenty of size — 6’1″, 205 — so he should be able to hold his own physically.

That would leave Smith to cover Sanu, and that’s a very good matchup for him. At 6’2″, 210, Sanu has decent size, but he isn’t a speedy receiver like Cooks. So Smith could definitely lock him up, allowing two others to focus on Julio.

Even if this switch doesn’t happen, and it probably won’t, Amerson is going to have to keep Sanu quiet to ensure the defense doesn’t get ripped for 400+ passing yards again. Sanu grabbed five passes for 80 yards and a TD in his Falcons debut.

Deion Jones

Robert Alford was already highlighted in the Crabtree section, so while he will be an important player in this matchup, we’ll focus on a different player for the Falcons defensive x-factor.

That player is Deion Jones.

A second-round pick in 2016, Jones was considered a tweener coming out of LSU, standing at 6’1″, 222 with 4.59 speed. There were questions about whether he could make it as a linebacker in the NFL, but Jones has gotten above 230 pounds while maintaining his athleticism, and has impressed thus far during his rookie campaign.

In a short time, Jones has showed a variety of skills — sound tackler, instincts, coverage ability, pass rushing prowess. Atlanta may have landed a steal in the second round.

Of course, the Raiders offensive line is as good as they come, so Deion will have his hands full trying to make plays in Oakland’s backfield. The o-line will have to be mindful of Jones’ attempts to shoot gaps and generally just fly across the field.

With De’Vondre Campbell out with injury and few playmakers in Atlanta’s front seven, if Jones doesn’t have a big day, Oakland’s offense could once again be in line for a 30-point showing.