The Las Vegas Raiders benched Jackson Powers-Johnson at right guard for Sunday’s game against the Buffalo Bills, replacing him with Caleb Rogers as head coach Klint Kubiak moved to address a running game that has been dragging the offense down.
It is not known whether the benching is for the full game. Kubiak had previously said changes could be coming if the ground game didn’t improve, and Sunday’s lineup swap turned that warning into action.
For Powers-Johnson, it’s a setback that leaves him needing to earn his starting job back. For Rogers, it’s a chance to help fix a problem that has made things harder on the rest of the offense.
A functioning run game is central to Kubiak’s offensive system. It’s supposed to create manageable down-and-distance situations and open things up through the air. When it doesn’t work, the problems spread: longer third downs, fewer good spots for the quarterback, and more opportunities for opposing defenses to control the game.
Swapping one player at one position won’t automatically solve all of that. Run blocking depends on the whole offensive line working together, not just one man. But the move shows Kubiak isn’t willing to just wait around for things to get better on their own.
Against a team like Buffalo, the Raiders needed an offense that could sustain drives and stay competitive. A more productive running game would help on both fronts, and now it’s on Rogers to help deliver it.
Whether a new face at right guard actually changes the Raiders’ fortunes on the ground remains to be seen. But Kubiak said he’d consider shaking things up if needed — and Sunday, he did exactly that.
