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INTRO/PLAYBOOK: RAIDERS AT JETS
The Raiders should pack some humility for their trip to New York.
Whatever they think of the Jets, whatever opportunity they see in Sunday’s game at MetLife Stadium, they would be wise to spend considerably more time examining themselves.
A team that cannot consistently run the ball, stop the run or prevent ordinary plays from becoming damaging ones has no business looking down on anybody.
And if the Raiders arrive believing the Jets owe them a victory simply because they are the Jets?
Shame on them.
Four consecutive losses have erased a 3-0 start and exposed problems that go well beyond a difficult stretch of opponents. The Raiders are failing at some of football’s most basic requirements, and until that changes, no assignment will feel comfortable.
The numbers offer little room for interpretation.
The Raiders average 74.7 rushing yards per game, ranking 31st in the NFL. They surrender 143.6 per game, ranking 30th. Their opponents average nearly 5 yards per carry, second highest in the league.
They are also tied for 27th in explosive-play rate allowed at 14.4%, defining those gains as at least 15 yards on a dropback or 10 yards on a run.
That is a troubling combination: struggling to create manageable situations on offense while making life easier for the opposing offense.
The Rams supplied the latest evidence, rushing for 199 yards while the Raiders managed 48. There is no mystery about which team controlled that game or why.
Fixing it starts with Klint Kubiak, whose responsibility extends beyond finding a clever play to free a receiver. He sets the standards for preparation, physicality and execution. Those standards must show up before the Raiders chase another deficit.
Offensively, that means giving Ashton Jeanty a chance to reach the line of scrimmage with somewhere to go. The blocking must produce cleaner entry points, and the Raiders need enough early success to keep the entire playbook available.
Simply calling more runs will not solve missed assignments or lost blocks. Neither will abandoning the ground game and asking the passing attack to carry every possession.
The Raiders have tried that more than a few times over the last four weeks to no avail.
Defensively, the assignment begins with holding gaps, setting firm edges and finishing tackles. The Raiders cannot keep giving opponents favorable down-and-distance situations, then expect Maxx Crosby to rescue them on the occasional obvious passing down.
Against Garrett Wilson, the secondary must pair coverage discipline with secure tackling. Make the Jets sustain possessions. Make them execute again. Stop providing shortcuts.
This is also a game that demands patience. A modest gain, a punt after sound field position or a tackle that prevents an explosive play can matter more than an impatient attempt to manufacture a highlight.
The Jets represent an opportunity for the Raiders to interrupt their slide. They also represent another opponent fully capable of exploiting the same weaknesses everyone else can see.
If the Raiders believe they are the better team, Sunday provides a place to prove it.
The standings will not do that work for them.
MARQUEE MATCHUP: RAIDERS CB DARIEN PORTER VS. JETS WR GARRETT WILSON
Porter’s length and recovery speed give him tools to compete with Wilson, but this assignment will demand patience as much as athletic ability. Wilson can challenge a cornerback’s leverage with his releases and breaks, then turn a routine completion into a bigger gain.
When they line up across from each other, Porter must avoid opening his hips too early or gambling on the first move. Staying connected through the route and finishing at the catch point will be essential.
So will tackling. The Raiders cannot afford to turn a short throw into another defensive breakdown. Porter does not have to erase Wilson to win his part of this matchup. He has to make Wilson earn his production without giving away an explosive play.
MARQUEE MATCHUP: RAIDERS DE MAXX CROSBY VS. JETS LT OLU FASHANU
When Crosby lines up over Fashanu, the matchup will test the tackle’s ability to handle an opponent who keeps working long after the initial block. Crosby can threaten the edge, counter inside and turn a quarterback’s extra beat in the pocket into a costly mistake.
But his impact needs to begin before third down. The Raiders need Crosby to help close running lanes and create the passing situations in which he can attack.
For Fashanu, the challenge is staying balanced and avoiding an overset that opens an inside path. For Crosby, it is combining disruption with discipline. A sack would help. Consistently forcing the Jets to operate behind schedule could matter even more to a defense searching for control.
THE PICK: RAIDERS 21, JETS 13
The Raiders finally put together enough fundamentally sound football to stop their slide. Jeanty gets enough room to keep the offense balanced, the passing game supplies the necessary scoring plays and Crosby helps force the Jets into difficult third downs. Holding New York to 13 points requires a significant improvement in tackling and coverage discipline, but the pick is that the Raiders deliver it. They leave with a needed victory because they handle the ordinary plays better and make the Jets earn their yards.
KEY STAT
143.6: Rushing yards the Raiders allow per game, ranking 30th in the NFL. Controlling the Jets on the ground must be their defensive starting point.
