In Week 11, the defending Super Bowl champions take on the 4-5 Oakland Raiders in what will be an international showdown at Estadio Azteca in Mexico City. Despite an offense that looks hungover from its successes in 2016 (pre Derek Carr injury of course), the Raiders trying desperately to salvage their season. In order for the champs to stay on track here’s the week 11 New England Patriots Keys to Victory.
Week 11 New England Patriots Keys to Victory
Lock Down Amari Cooper
Amari Cooper must get involved in order for the Raiders to be successful. While Michael Crabtree has consistently demonstrated a propensity to churn out good statistical games, Cooper is the true threat on this football team. In his Thursday night extravaganza on week seven, he was targeted a total of 19 times, and had 11 receptions for 210 yards and two touchdowns. The Raiders recognize that in order to have successful outings, number 89 must be targeted early and often.
As playoff season approaches, Matt Patricia has made the necessary adjustments, and the defense is seemingly returned to its 2016 form. That being said, the defensive backfield has not been a stronghold for the defending champs this season. Cooper is prime for another breakout game; and has the tendency to blow by defenders in one-on-one coverage. In order to prevent that from happening, Patricia needs to keep a spying safety over the top so perennial safety Malcolm Butler doesn’t get beat.
Run the Football
The Raiders are ranked 22nd in total defense, which is pretty mediocre. In the last two contests, the Raiders have allowed both Kenyan Drake (7.7 yards per carry) and LeSean McCoy (5.6 yards per carry) respectively. Special recognition to Kareem Hunt, who ran for 4.8 yards per carry.
The Patriots haven’t been a running team this season, but the Raiders pose the perfect opportunity to tote the rock. The Patriots have a tendency to rotate running backs, but against this team, it may be preferable to go with the hot hand. Dion Lewis, James White, and even Rex Burkhead are all capable of taking over a game if given the optimal amount of touches.
Khalil Mack has been a stalwart for the Raiders, leading the team with 4.5 sacks. The Raiders line-backing core has been an obvious strength, and their linebackers are rangy and talented enough to defend running backs in coverage. As usual, Josh McDaniels will continue to find creative ways to get his running backs the ball, and Burkhead has been pretty crafty catching passes out of the backfield.
Capitalize on Turnovers
The Patriots must capitalize on this turnover prone team in Mexico. Oakland is currently tied for 28th in turnovers in the league. Their running backs have surrendered a total of five fumbles, and Carr has thrown eight interceptions in 10 games. Statistically, this means Carr is very likely to throw an interception this week. The Patriots turnover differential is plus six, implication being that they’ll have plenty of opportunities to exploit the 4-5 Raiders.
In past years, Carr was known to fill up the stats sheets, posting quarterback ratings over 100 when down eight or under in the fourth quarter. As of late, the Raiders have floundered, and aren’t the same team that they once were. The Raiders are expected to be behind a large portion of the game, and while Carr is certainly better than average, Devin McCourty and the boys will definitely have their opportunities to make him pay.
In Tom Brady’s first game in Mexico, he won’t fail to disappoint. Let’s just hope this one stays competitive.
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