The Oakland Raiders have started the season with four wins and one loss. It has been 13 years since anyone has written or said those words. The last time the Raiders started the season 4-1 was in the 2002 season when they made it to the Super Bowl to get thrashed by their former coach Jon Gruden and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
The Raiders offense has been clicking on all cylinders all season, and now the defense is starting to work itself into shape. The Raiders came out with another close victory last week against the San Diego Chargers. In fact, three Raiders wins have been decided by three points or less. This week, expect another close game with the Raiders hosting the Kansas City Chiefs (2-2). The Chiefs are coming off of a bye week, mentally and physically prepared to play the Raiders. The Raiders need to be ready too.
Oakland Raiders Week Six Keys to Victory
Heard This Before?
If the Oakland Raiders want to keep winning, the defense has to play better. This has been mentioned over and over again since the start of the season, but for good reason! The Raiders defense has been the worst in the league. The Raiders defense has allowed 24 passes of 20-plus yards this season, which ranks as the most in the NFL. They have allowed 652 yards after the catch, which puts them at 29th worst in the NFL.
Also, the Raiders defense has allowed 7.01 yards per play to opposing offenses, which ranks as the most in the NFL. In per game averages, the Raiders allow the most total and passing yards per game, and the next worst team allows 30 less yards per game in both categories. The Raiders are 27th in rushing defense, and 24th in points allowed per game.
The defense is bad, and it really hasn’t gotten better. The only times the Raiders have stopped the opposing quarterback from passing for 300 yards was against the Tennessee Titans and the Baltimore Ravens, and that shouldn’t be viewed as an accomplishment.
The first part to being successful against the Chiefs is stopping the run. The Raiders have only managed to do that against the Chargers, but the Chargers don’t have Jamaal Charles. The Chiefs have a formidable backfield led by Charles and Spencer Ware. Charles hasn’t been fully healthy this year, but according to reports, the ”training wheels” are coming off.
If the Raiders cannot stop the run game, the Chiefs will control the clock and their quarterback Alex Smith will be completely comfortable. The Raiders can’t allow that to happen if they want to win. Along with plugging the run as much as possible, Khalil Mack and Bruce Irvin have to get pressure on the quarterback like they have been doing the last couple of weeks. The pass rush has started slow, but it’s gotten better, and it needs to be at it’s best against the Chiefs. Defensive tackle Stacy McGee has been a nice surprise, providing interior pass rush that has been missing for a long time. He currently leads the team with 2.5 sacks.
Offensive Firepower
The offense has not been a problem for the Raiders this season, but it can improve. Last week was the first time the Raiders struggled in the red zone, and a big reason was because running back Latavius Murray was out. Murray’s value as a running back hasn’t really been realized until it showed last week when the Raiders couldn’t punch the ball in the end zone.
Murray isn’t as dynamic in the open field as fellow running backs Jalen Richard and DeAndre Washington. But when the Raiders are inside the opposing team’s 20 and 10 yard line, Murray is a big running back that can run right through the defensive line into that end zone. The Raiders didn’t have that last week, and that is why they settled for three field goals early and were down 10-9 at the end of the first half. Murray continues to miss practice, so if he is not there, look for fullback Jamize Olawale to get any red zone touches inside the 5 yard line.
There has been a lot of talk about the stellar play of quarterback Derek Carr as if he hasn’t been here the whole time. He continues to show improvement and maturity and it is extremely impressive. Wide receiver Amari Cooper found the end zone for the first time last week and was as close to having a four touchdown game as anyone. Three times his touchdowns were ruled out of bounds in some sort of manner. He and Michael Crabtree form a great duo.
One problem the Raiders have is that their tight ends are hurt. They need to get more passing offense in the middle of field, otherwise those sideline throws to Cooper and Crabtree will not work. The Raiders can use wide receiver Seth Roberts for that role, or third string tight end Mychal Rivera. The running backs should get plenty of work in the receiving game as well. Almost everything has been working for the Raiders offensively, but they can’t settle for field goals early, and they need to have the lead for most of the game. They can’t play catch up with the Chiefs.
The Little Things Matter
There are a few small aspects of the game that get overlooked by some, when they are huge in determining the outcome of the game. These three aspects are time of possession, turnover differential, and third down conversions. The Raiders have been very good at taking care of the ball. Derek Carr has thrown only two interceptions this year and the only fumble of the year has been by rookie running back DeAndre Washington.
The Raiders have forced ten turnovers to only three of their giveaways which gives them the third best turnover differential in the league with seven. However, the Chiefs also have 10 takeaways and they have done that in one less game. The Chiefs lead the league in interceptions with eight, the biggest reason for that is because of the New York Jets quarterback, Ryan Fitzpatrick who put on a spectacular six interception performance two weeks ago. Regardless, the Chiefs have a dangerous secondary led by cornerback Marcus Peters and safety Eric Berry. In the 52 regular-season games that Andy Reid has led the Chiefs, they have won the turnover battle in 27 of those contests ultimately winning 22 of those games. Whoever wins the turnover battle has a good chance of winning the game.
Neither the Raiders or the Chiefs have been great in the clock game, and that will be key for this game. Controlling the ball and field position will be important and a key factor in who emerges as the winner. Since Reid has taken over, the Chiefs have had a better third-down conversion percentage in 24 of the games, and they’ve won 21 of those. 88% of the time, Reid has won when the Chiefs have a better third down percentage. Ranked 25th, the Raiders do not have a great third down conversion rate, but neither do the Chiefs, who are ranked at 18th. It will be interesting to see who comes out on top in these three small, but important categories. Winning the majority of these small battles could mean winning the game.
Derek Carr is 1-3 against the Chiefs. His only win against the Chiefs was his first win as an NFL quarterback. He has lost three straight to them since, and if the Raiders are to break that streak, the Raiders need to be ready, and rested. Andy Reid has a 15-2 record coming off of a bye week in his NFL coaching career, and that only means the Raiders have to bring their A-game.
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