Hard to simulate

The obvious problem to contain for the Raiders offense Sunday will be Myles Garrett and the Browns' pass rush.

Despite their 2-8 record, the Browns have allowed the fewest yards to opposing offenses in the league (2,735). They also rank top 10 in takeaways (14), passing defense EPA (-4.50) and quarterback sacks (32).

Of their 32 sacks, 15 have come from Garrett, who leads the league in that category. He's the fourth player in NFL history to have 14+ sacks in five straight seasons, with the other three being Hall of Famers Reggie White, Kevin Greene and Bruce Smith.

"I think the one thing about Myles that when you look at him, obviously he's a freakish looking guy," offensive coordinator Chip Kelly said. "He's 270 something pounds and moves like a linebacker, but then when you watch his movement skill, you're like, there aren't many big people that move that way. ... I don't know if there's anybody out there that can really simulate Myles, because as I said he's got 15 sacks right now and, and we're 10 games in. He's on track to set the record in the history of the league for sacks. So, he's as good as we're going to face out there."

The underrated threat of Defensive Rookie of the Year candidate

Garrett rightfully takes up the majority of the headlines revolving around the Browns defense.

Yet behind Garrett in the front seven, there's an emerging talent at linebacker the Raiders must also worry about.

The Browns' 2025 second-round pick Carson Schwesinger has been performing at a high level, leading the team in total tackles (79). He's also racked up two interceptions, eight tackles for loss, five quarterback hits and two pass deflections.

He was named Week 11 NFL Rookie of the Week after totaling 10 tackles and intercepting a pass from two-time NFL MVP Lamar Jackson.

Rookies on deck

The Browns also have three offensive rookies who could poise a threat.

Notably, Sheduer Sanders will be getting his first NFL start as Dillon Gabriel was ruled out with a concussion. The son of Pro Football Hall of Famer Deion Sanders was named Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year in 2024 after leading the nation in pass completions (74 percent) while throwing for 4,134 and 37 touchdowns at Colorado.

After a rough outing against the Baltimore Ravens in which he completed only 25 percent of his passes for 47 yards, the Raiders must prepare to send pressure at the rookie quarterback who has proven to be accurate with time in the pocket.

"When you watch the tape that stands out, I mean, he can make the throws," defensive coordinator Patrick Graham said. "I mean, there's some throws, even last week, some throws in the preseason that were pretty good. The one down the red area where or two, I think, in the red area, he found him on broken plays or loose plays. He does a good job. He can throw the football, can definitely do that."

In the backfield with Sanders will be Quinshon Judkins, one of the Browns' second-round picks. The running back leads all rookies in rushing yards (620), carries (157) and rushing touchdowns (five). He'll be going up against a Raiders defense that's allowed an average of 125.25 rushing yards through their last four outings.

"Great vision, great patience, how he presses the line of scrimmage to make the second level commit, and once you do that, then he's able to find holes," Graham said of Judkins. "I was telling the players today, I said, 'You got to remember, most running backs in the league, they've been playing running back since they were, like, 7 years old, so they got a ton of reps. ... They've been toting that ball since they were little kids, so they got a lot of reps, a lot of reps in terms of where the vision needs to be and finding holes. And you can see it with him. He's pretty exceptional."

Lastly, the Raiders must be aware of where tight end Harold Fannin Jr. is on the field. The third-round pick was an All-American at Bowling Green, leading the nation in receptions (117) and receiving yards (1,555) in 2024.

Despite being more of an unknown Group of Five prospect, his game has immediately translated over to the next level as he leads the Browns in receptions (44) and receiving yards (422). He's be expected to be one of Sanders' top targets this Sunday.

Three QBs

Aidan O'Connell was activated off the Reserve/Injured list Wednesday.

The quarterback was placed on injured reserve on Aug. 27 due to a right wrist injury sustained in the preseason. He's been ramping up his recovery for several weeks now and feels he's back to 100 percent healthy.

"Throwing [has] felt pretty normal for awhile," he said. "Still a couple of things in the training room that we're doing, more maintenance than anything but it feels great."

"I got extra time in rehab ... I think it was a 6-8 week injury and it's been more than that," he added "So, I've been able to definitely get a callous and it feels really good."

It's yet to be determined if O'Connell will be QB2 behind Geno Smith or the third-string quarterback behind Kenny Pickett. Regardless, O'Connell has proven to be a capable option when called upon – with 3,830 passing yards and 20 touchdowns in his 20 career games.

Uptick for rookie cornerback

Rookie Darien Porter has sparingly had opportunities to play this year, but that could change.

The 6-foot-3 defensive back was heralded for his size and speed in the draft, ultimately making him a third-round pick for the Silver and Black. He played 100 percent of defensive snaps against the Indianapolis Colts and Jacksonville Jaguars, totaling nine solo tackles in those matchups. Since Week 9, he's appeared in under 34 percent of defensive snaps, though is still being used as a core special teamer.

After the Raiders defense giving up four touchdowns in the air to the Cowboys, Pete Carroll hinted at Porter seeing more time on the field against the Browns.

"He had a terrific week," Carroll said. "He really did, and those guys are really battling, so he is going to get good playing time this week."

History as it stands

The Raiders have a 16-10 regular season matchup lead over the Cleveland Browns historically.

The Silver and Black are also riding a five-game winning streak over the Browns, with their last matchup being Week 4 in 2024 at Allegiant Stadium. Charles Snowden secured a game-winning sack on fourth down in the red zone to bring home a 20-16 victory.