On Sunday afternoon, the Oakland Raiders will host the Cincinnati Bengals at the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum. There are important matchups to consider when trying to determine a winner, but the running backs likely hold the keys to victory. Rookie of the Year favorite Josh Jacobs must have a productive game in order for the Raiders to leave Sunday with a victory.
Josh Jacobs Holds the Key to Victory in Week Eleven
Pounding The Rock With Josh Jacobs Will Be Key
The Bengals currently rank dead last in the league in rush defense, allowing an average of 173 yards per game. Josh Jacobs currently ranks seventh in the league in rush yards and should have the time of his life this game. With a rush defense this bad, Jacobs should be expecting to have a monster performance and look to run away with that Rookie of the Year award, pun intended. Look for the Raiders to heavily feature Jacobs and dominate the time of possession throughout the course of the game.
The Other Key Matchups
Maxx Crosby will look to line up across from Andre Smith on Sunday and it’ll be one of the matchups worth keeping an eye on. Crosby dominated in the game against the Los Angeles Chargers last week, generating 10 quarterback pressures, two of which led to an interception, and registering half a sack. Andre Smith may not be a top tier tackle, but he’s only allowed three sacks on the season and is a veteran presence on the Bengals’ offensive line. Crosby will have to get by Smith to disrupt, rookie quarterback, Ryan Finley and keep him off his spot in the pocket.
Trent Brown is having a monster season at right tackle for the Oakland Raiders, surrendering only one sack all season. Brown has also only registered 4 penalties, all false starts, throughout the course of the year and is proving to be worth every penny the Raiders paid him last offseason. He’ll be looking to shut down veteran defensive end Carlos Dunlap. While Dunlap hasn’t been having the season he’s normally accustomed to, only registering one sack thus far, he’s still a proven veteran and two-time Pro Bowler. Dunlap has the talent and veteran knowhow to go off at any moment, so it’ll be important for Brown to continue what he’s been doing all season and completely shut him down.
Not An Automatic Win
If the Raiders expect to just sleepwalk into Sunday’s game against the Bengals and leave with a victory, then they’ve got another thing coming. Don’t let the Bengals’ record fool you. There’s a plethora of talent on this team that is capable of winning any given Sunday, especially if their opponent is ballsy enough to look past them. The Raiders should look to make a statement this Sunday. They need to show the world why they’re a serious playoff contender and not just some middle of the pack team with a few lucky wins. The Raiders young talent is blossoming right before your eyes and will prove on Sunday why they have the best foundation in football.
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