Retour
The Las Vegas Raiders are looking to end their current four-game losing streak before it gets worse. The New York Jets are the most beatable team Las Vegas has faced since their last win over four weeks ago. However, the Jets are far from a pushover for a reeling Raiders team.
Below are the three storylines I will be watching the most in the Raiders' road matchup against the Jets.
Las Vegas' roster has several holes that remain from past seasons. These remaining holes have been exploited by the four elite teams the Raiders have played in the past month. Those roster issues will be there for the rest of the season.
Las Vegas' coaching staff must use its solid play-calling ability to scheme around the offense's deficiencies. That is their only hope of turning things around. If they can't, their remaining opponents are simply going to do all the same things their past four opponents did.
It will be challenging, but Las Vegas' coaching staff not only has to call good plays, but they also have to call a strong game while being confident the players can execute the calls. The execution part of the equation has been missing for the Raiders' offense repeatedly during the team's losing streak.
Klint Kubiak and Andrew Janocko must put together a solid game plan that puts the offense in position to win. They have already done so; they must find a way to help the players improve their execution of those plays.
The Raiders entered the fourth quarter of Week 7 down 28-6 against Matthew Stafford and the Rams. They entered the fourth quarter of Week 6 down 23-13 to Josh Allen and the Bills. They entered the fourth quarter of Week 6 down 35-10 against Drake Maye and the New England Patriots.
Those are not competitive situations. The chances of any offense, much less one that struggles to sustain drives or score points for three quarters, realistically coming back and winning in those scenarios are nearly nonexistent.
In those situations, the defense is giving up points, and the offense is not scoring anywhere as efficiently as needed.
Las Vegas has scored a total of three points in its last four third quarters. Geno Smith and the Jets aren't as bad as they may look from the outside. Las Vegas' defense must stop the run better than they have and keep the Jets' offense in check.
But the Raiders' offense must show up before they are down by two or three possessions in the fourth quarter.
The Raiders' offense has to put up yards and stats before the game is out of reach.
The last time Las Vegas played on the East Coast at 10 in the morning on the West Coast, the Raiders looked like a team that was completely thrown off by the time difference, in addition to the Patriots simply being the better team.
It is fair to point out that their loss to the Rams was similar; they at least hung in the game against the Patriots for a quarter and a half and would have been closer if not for Matt Gay missing his first field goal of the season, giving up touchdowns immediately before and after halftime.
A lot had to go wrong against the Patriots for it to get out of hand the way it did. Having to play a football game at what feels like 10 in the morning is undoubtedly a competitive disadvantage if your opponent's body doesn't have to do the same.
They face a similar situation in their Week 8 matchup against the Jets. Kubiak believes his guys will be more prepared this time around.
“Yes. Absolutely. Just the importance of getting up, getting out of bed, getting ready to roll, and getting ready to start fast,” Kubiak said after the team’s practice on Friday.
Sunday against the Jets, especially if it results in Las Vegas' fifth straight loss, will be the most critical game of Kubiak's first season with the team. It would be just another win, but a loss would spark more questions and conversations about the team's direction this season and their future beyond it.