The Oakland Raiders are the talk of the town. At 9-2, they’re tied with the New England Patriots for the best record in the AFC, and are barrelling towards their first playoff berth since 2002. They’ve won five games in a row, including two prime-time games, and wins over both Super Bowl participants from last year. However, there’s one opponent the Raiders might be overlooking.
The Buffalo Bills Could Be A Trap Game for Oakland Raiders
Pay the Bills
The Buffalo Bills are 6-5, and are essentially out of the playoff hunt. At the moment, it looks like it will take ten wins to lock up a wild card spot, and they’re far behind the New England Patriots in the AFC East. Their offense is mediocre at best, and there are questions about whether Rex Ryan has what it takes to coach in the NFL.
However, this doesn’t mean they’re a bad team. They may only average 339 yards a game, but they score around 26 points. Their pass defense is 25th, but they have the second most sacks in the NFL. Considering that Sammy Watkins and LeSean McCoy might be healthy enough to play this Sunday against Oakland, the Raiders better show up ready to play.
Eyes on Tomorrow
As previously stated, the Raiders have just defeated last year’s Super Bowl participants, the Carolina Panthers and Denver Broncos. Even between those games, the Raiders traveled to Mexico City on Monday Night Football to take on the AFC South leading Houston Texans. These wins have been impressive, but the Raiders might have another game on their minds.
The Raiders won’t get to rest long after playing the Bills, as they travel to take on the Kansas City Chiefs on Thursday Night Football. The Chiefs are one of the two teams to beat the Raiders this season, and only trail Oakland by a game in the division race. A win over the Raiders would give Kansas City a half game lead and control of their division destiny.
It would be understandable if Oakland looked ahead to this game, especially when a team like Buffalo is coming to town. However, the Raiders can not allow this to happen. With Tyrod Taylor, Watkins, and McCoy coming to town against a defense that gave up 25 unanswered points last week, they can’t be caught napping.
If the Raiders aren’t careful, they could seriously jeopardize their playoff hopes. While it’s an easy win on paper, their game against the Bills could be a serious trap for Oakland. They need to show up on Sunday like it’s the Super Bowl or else they might find themselves trailing Kansas City in the AFC West race.
