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No one envisioned Oakland Raiders defensive back T.J. Carrie progressing at this rate since breaking into the league as a seventh-round pick from Ohio in 2014. Kudos to general manager Reggie McKenzie for picking up a late-round gem who serves as an integral piece of the Raiders secondary.

Now, the Raiders must optimize Carrie’s talent to neutralize the most potent passing attack in the league. Oakland travels south within the state to square off against San Diego Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers on the heels of a 43-of-65, 503-yard passing performance against the Green Bay Packers' 11th-ranked pass defense.

Carrie is an essential piece to slowing Rivers down, but in what capacity? Head coach Jack Del Rio didn’t share any details on his game plan for his versatile defensive back, per San Francisco Chronicle writer Vic Tafur:

We’ll dig into a plan of action for Del Rio and highlight some key points in countering Rivers’ offensive weapons.

Secondary Matchups

Here’s the wide receiver-cornerback production comparison between the two teams, focusing on the Raiders defense:

Oakland Raiders Cornerbacks Player Snaps Targets Recs Allowed Yds Allowed TDs Allowed INT D.J. Hayden 333 39 27 317 3 0 T.J. Carrie 226 16 8 94 0 0 Neiko Thorpe 215 37 21 289 1 1 David Amerson 170 21 14 142 0 0 Pro Football Focus

Chargers Wide Receivers Player Receptions Yards Yards Per Catch Touchdowns Keenan Allen 53 601 11.3 3 Malcom Floyd 16 310 19.4 1 Stevie Johnson 18 205 11.4 2 Dontrelle Inman 6 106 17.7 1 Pro-Football-Reference.com

As a cornerback, Carrie would likely match up against Keenan Allen. David Amerson would line up against Malcom Floyd. In the slot, D.J. Hayden would cover Stevie Johnson.

Neiko Thorpe falls out of the rotation as the odd man out with limited snaps in dime packages. Despite Hayden's early struggles, the Raiders aren’t wavering from featuring their former first-round pick in the secondary. In Week 5, when Carrie played cornerback, Thorpe played 26 snaps compared to Hayden's 58 snaps, per Pro Football Focus.

According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Chargers’ leading receiver, Allen, suffered a hip injury in his last outing:

Based on the Chargers' injury report, Allen missed the first two practices this week. He’ll likely play at less than 100 percent, which could limit his production.

Is it necessary to match Carrie up against a banged-up No. 1 receiver? Probably not. The Raiders can get the most out of him at safety alongside Charles Woodson.

Amerson has played well and should match up well against a wounded perimeter threat. The shift also allows Thorpe to line up against Floyd, who serves as the Chargers' deep threat but doesn’t catch a high volume of passes. Hayden’s position in the slot wouldn’t change.

Making Adjustments

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Despite a hip injury, Allen still poses a threat on the perimeter. If he dominates Amerson on the outside, defensive coordinator Ken Norton Jr. could shift Carrie over to provide one-on-one coverage in the second half.

Norton Jr. isn’t afraid to make adjustments. Rivers has a plethora of weapons at his disposal, and one particular receiver may need extra coverage. If the receiver stretches the field deep, Carrie can provide over-the-top help. Woodson may need to keep his eyes on tight end Antonio Gates in base defense.

Many would point out Woodson’s team-leading four interceptions as evidence of his ability to handle center field on his own. However, the Chargers have two running backs who are adept at catching out of the backfield, which occupies the linebackers.

Woodson will probably encounter Gates when he establishes possession. That’s not an advantageous matchup after the catch with the veteran’s hurt shoulder and pattern of missed tackles.

Oakland Raiders Safeties Player Snaps Targets Recs Allowed TDs Allowed Missed Tackles INT Charles Woodson 343 10 5 0 8 4 Larry Asante 186 6 5 0 4 0 T.J. Carrie 72 5 3 1 0 0 Taylor Mays 33 3 3 1 2 0 Pro Football Focus

Woodson needs someone capable of covering and making tackles to complement his tendencies to bait deep throws.

Carrie Starting at Cornerback or Safety?

Rivers has multiple deep-threat weapons including two tight ends and a 6'5" wide receiver in Floyd.

San Diego may opt to use two-tight end sets with its deep-threat wide receiver on the field, which would overload Woodson. The 39-year-old safety is putting together a stellar season, forcing four turnovers, but he’s not Superman with the ability to cover three offensive weapons at once.

Chargers' Deep Threats (Receptions 20 or more yards downfield) Player Receptions Yards Touchdowns Malcom Floyd 5 190 1 Keenan Allen 3 100 2 Ladarius Green 2 43 1 Pro Football Focus

Carrie positioned at safety ensures Rivers cannot simply avoid the versatile defensive back by not targeting him in coverage. The Chargers quarterback has targeted Gates and Allen 23 times apiece in the last two weeks. With Allen nursing an injury, look for an uptick in targets to Floyd, the tight ends and running back Danny Woodhead.

Finally, Oakland doesn’t have viable options at safety who are proficient in providing coverage and making tackles at strong safety. Larry Asante plays far better as a downhill thumper in run support. The Raiders re-signed safety Taylor Mays, but he’s generally struggled at the position.

When it comes to shutting down a go-to receiver, it’s much easier to blanket the target with Carrie, who plays physically and denies ball entry.

However, the Raiders need his over-the-top support when defending multiple weapons capable of gouging the secondary for chunks of yardage.

The Raiders don’t know where Rivers will strike on Sunday. Norton must allot Carrie flexibility in his areas of coverage. Oakland would benefit in allowing the defensive back to patrol mid- to center field against wide receivers, tight ends and running backs as opposed to shutting down just one of Rivers’ many offensive weapons.

All statistics are provided by Pro-Football-Reference.com, Pro Football Focus and Team Rankings unless otherwise noted. San Diego Chargers injury report provided by Chargers.com. Raiders transactions provided by Raiders.com.

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