Are Raiders facing Jets at the wrong time?
If there was ever a bad time to be facing the New York Jets, the Raiders just may be experiencing it this week. At second glance, the once-laughable Jets may no longer deserve the scorn they’ve been drawing most of the season.
If you’re like most NFL fans, you haven’t bothered to notice the Jets are now riding a two-game winning streak. And, judging by how difficult it was for Oakland to dispose of the winless Bengals on Sunday, beating the Jets might not be an easy task.
For the first time in more than a year, the Jets offense accounted for more than 400 yards in a game while New York routed Washington 34-17 on Sunday. Is it a case of fortunes changing or just fortunate opponents? The Jets’ recent wins have come against the Giants and Washington, neither team that could be mistaken for a contender.
Still, those who embrace historical coincidences might get a kick out of the similarities surrounding the Oakland Raiders’ first NFL road game against the Jets, and this, their final one in New York this Sunday.
Nearly 49 years to the week, the playoff-hopeful Raiders first went to New York to play a Jets team with no shot at the playoffs. Just like today, the Jets back in 1970 were 3-7 after surprisingly winning two straight games before the Raiders came to town. Back then, like today, the Raiders had six wins and they desperately needed to avoid a Jets upset in order to remain tied for first place in the AFC West with the Kansas City Chiefs.
OK, today’s Raiders don’t have a 43-year-old miracle worker like George Blanda around to pull out last-second victories, but you get the point.
As for history repeating, Raiders fans should be so fortunate to witness an ending such as the one that provided an Oakland road win in 1970. Cue the tape of the Raiders scoring a game-winning touchdown off a tipped pass with eight seconds left.
Reason for optimism
THE GROUNDED JETS’ RUNNING ATTACK >> The Jets hoped for much more from Le’Veon Bell when they signed him to a four-year, $52 million free-agent deal before the season. Instead, they’ve got the league’s 21stleading rusher and a guy who has averaged more than 3 ½ yards per carry in just one game this season. Of course, it’s not all Bell’s fault. His offensive line has struggled all year trying to open up holes. His 18-carry, 59-yard game against Washington Sunday was actually one of better games statistically for the Jets.
Reasons for pessimism
NFL’S TOUGHEST FRONT? >> Don’t let the Jets record fool you, these guys are no pushover, particularly New York’s defensive front seven, led by emerging star run stuffer Folorunso Fatukasi. Since Week 6, the former sixth-round pick from Connecticut has graded out better than every NFL lineman except two — the Rams’ Aaron Donald and the Jaguars’ Calais Campbell. After holding Washington to just 54 yards on 20 carries (2.7 yards per carry), the Jets are officially the most difficult team in the NFL to run the ball against. The Jets have only permitted an average of 81.9 yards on the ground through 10 games, which doesn’t seem to bode well for the run-first Raiders.
MOST DOMINANT SAFETY AROUND >> Jamal Adams has arguably been the best defensive player in the NFL over the past three weeks. Over that time, the thirdyear star safety has set a Jets record for most sacks for a defensive back (six) as well as totaling 16 tackles, two forced fumbles, a fumble recovery and a touchdown. A RECEIVER TO WORRY ABOUT >> Jamison Crowder is again someone teams need to be concerned about after joining the Jets this season following a down season with Washington last year. Crowder and Sam Darnold have hooked up for touchdown passes in three consecutive games. Crowder has emerged as Darnold’s go-to receiver as he has 18 of his team-best 53 catches in the last three games. Pro Football Focus still rates Crowder as one of the game’s better receivers, a year after he had a career-worst catch percentage of just 59 percent on his targeted throws.
PROBABLE DIFFERENCEMAKER >> Sam Darnold.
This isn’t the same Sam Darnold who admitted to “seeing ghosts” while in the throes of a two-game streak where he threw seven in interceptions earlier this season. Against the Raiders’ sometimes-suspect pass defense, Darnold could keep on rolling this week. Of course, there’s always a chance he reverts to the guy who threw interceptions in five of the last six games.