Tag: bills

Raiders vs Bills 2023

It wasn’t pretty but the Raiders secured a season opening win and their seventh consecutive victory over the Broncos. Vegas also positioned themselves as the No. 1 team in the AFC West. The Chiefs and Chargers both took losses in Week One.

The Raiders offensive line didn’t look great. Denver held Josh Jacobs to less than 50 yards rushing for the day. Jacobs did break more tackles than any other running back last week so the performance can’t get blamed on his rust.

Nobody gave up a sack but some of that credit goes to Jimmy Garoppolo for getting the ball out. Denver did feature a top run defense last year. Except Vegas found ways to run the ball last year.

On defense, the line did secure two sacks of Russell Wilson. Raiders edge Tyree Wilson had some flashes including the first play of the game. Jerry Tillery registered a sack and flashed his hands, stunt and closing speed. Yet, Broncos quarterback Russell Wilson also held onto the ball too long. Either way, it was nice to see some disruption beyond Maxx Crosby’s usual presence.

Vegas did get carved up in the run game. There were times the Raiders needed more anchor in the middle. Other times their ends got too far upfield. Some of that blame goes on the backers. They also got beat in coverage. Denver honestly should’ve stuck with the run more.

Nonetheless, the game came down to the Broncos missing a kick. They also did the Raiders a favor failing to convert an onside kick early. Special teams really helped Vegas edge that victory out.

Moving onto Week Two, the Raiders face a tougher challenge. They go on the road again, this time to the East Coast. Vegas faces a Buffalo Bills team that contended last year. However, they overwhelmed in the opener versus the Jets. Expect them to come out with an extra sense of urgency. Despite how bad they looked early, Buffalo only lost by a punt return in overtime. Plus, the Silver and Black don’t always travel to the east well.

The Raiders run game seems to be their biggest advantage this week. Buffalo’s most effective rusher was Josh Allen last week, The Silver and Black need to establish the run to again control the game. That will also keep Allen off the field.

They will also be without Jakobi Meyers who finished as the top receiver last week. Vegas needs to get Davante Adams more involved early. The run game should also take some burden off Adams. Weather shouldn’t impact the game as it will be warm with little wind.

Stefon Diggs loves the intermediate work. The Raiders safeties and corners must tackle well. Dawson Knox could also give the Raiders linebackers some work. Josh Allen did throw three interceptions a week ago. Vegas needs to force an interception this week. They did not do that versus the Broncos. Marcus Peters is on this roster to force turnovers.

Special teams could again be critical. The Raiders advantage in the kicking game should help.

Ultimately, the Raiders game plan should remain the same. Use the run game to keep the other offense off the field. Take advantage of good field position. The extra part this week is getting even more pressure and forcing a turnover on defense. It would not hurt if the offense can convert a big play too. That should pretty much be the Raiders blueprint most of the year.

Raiders Versus Bills Preview

Las Vegas had a real chance at beating the Patriots. They left too many points on the board by not converting touchdowns in the redzones. Settling for field goals versus a well coached Patriots team is not the answer.

Still, the defense forced a turnover with Johnathan Abram’s interception. Maxx Crosby registered a couple of sacks. Josh Jacobs averaged over four yards a carry. Devonta Booker gained some big chunks. Derek Carr was efficient again with two touchdowns, no interceptions and a high completion percentage. The team missed their rookie receivers.

Either way, the Raiders went into the half with a momentum gaining score. They failed to build on that in the second half. Carr’s second TD also came with the game seemingly out of reach. New England had Sony Michel averaging over 10 yards a carry while Rex Burkhead tore up the Raiders from the backfield as a receiver and runner.

Meanwhile, Buffalo fought off a Los Angeles Rams comeback. The Bills were blowing out L.A. 21-3 in the first half. The Rams came back strong in the second half. They scored 29 to take the lead before Buffalo scored on the final and winning drive.

More On The Bills

Buffalo is 3-0 and looking like a real threat in the AFC East. Josh Allen is second in the league in passing yards as well as completing 70 percent of his passes. He has thrown 10 touchdowns to only one interception. PFF ranks him among the top QBs.

Receiver Stefon Diggs brought a new outside weapon to his team. He’s caught two TDs and two passes form ore than 25 yards. Cole Beasley and John Brown are also playing well. Their running game is also solid with Devin Singletary. The Raiders have their hands full again this week.

On defense, the Bills are strong on the edges with veterans Mario Addison, Jerry Hughes and Trent Murphy. Rookie A.J. Epenesa also registered his first sack. They are deep in the interior with Ed Oliver, Quinton Jefferson, Vernon Butler and Harrison Philips.

Buffalo’s secondary is among the best in the league too. Jordan Poyer is PFF’s top rated safety. Safety Micah Hyde, corner Tre’davious White and corner Levi Wallace are playing at a high level.

Matt Milano is a force at outside backer with both an interception and sack so far this season. Tremaine Edmunds is an athletic freak. Both will be needed to cover the Raiders’ tight ends.

How The Vegas Defense Stacks Up Against Buffalo

LB Nick Kwiatkoski will return. Our defense was missing him the past two weaks. Cory Littleton needs help.

CB Damon Arnette will miss this game too. Arnette could be out a couple of months.

Buffalo’s biggest weakness is their interior offensive line. That means the Raiders will need DT Mo Hurst, DT Maliek Collins and DE Clelin Ferrell to push the pocket from the interior.

Tackles Daryl Williams and Dion Dawkins are both playing well for Buffalo. Las Vegas will need their ends to step up and apply pressure. It can’t only be Crosby all year.

The Raiders rush defense also looked bad last week. Buffalo may turn to Singletary early and often. RB Zack Moss could also play through a toe injury and give the Bills added physicality at the tailback spot. We can’t afford to let Buffalo establish the run when they already have such strong passing threats.

Vegas will need their safeties to play discipline this week too. Allen has a big arm and the receiving threats to push the ball deep. The Bills also have Beasley to eat up intermediate junk.

The Raiders Offensive Keys Versus the Bills

Offensively, the Raiders will be down WR Henry Ruggs and OT Trent Brown again this week. WR Bryan Edwards is out with an ankle sprain.

Ruggs and Edwards out means more Zay Jones and Nelson Agoholor. Both have made splashes in the early season. Jones is facing the team that drafted him before trading him last year. Hopefully, he is extra motivated and open this week. They’re going to have their hands full with the Bills secondary.

The Rams threw a couple of big passes to Gerald Everett and Tyler Higbee. That means, Foster Moreau and Darren Waller should both find opportunities to eat this week. Carr has also got to push the ball to all his guys again this week.

Vegas also needs to keep mixing Booker into their run game. He looked good last week and could spell Jacobs. Jacobs looks good as always but we need to keep his legs strong for those AFC West battles.

Don’t be too hard on rookie guard John Simpson. It’s still early in his career. He’s shown some flashes but will have his hands full with Buffalo’s rotation.

What A Mean Would Mean For The Silver And Black Stakes

Are the Raiders in a rebuild or a threat for the playoffs? The answer becomes a little more clear with this matchup versus the Bills.

A win versus the 3-0 Bills could put the Raiders back towards the top of the AFC. It would give them some momentum before next week’s division matchup with the Chiefs.

Losing puts the Raiders at .500. It’s a winning percentage the Raiders can live with through the first quarter of the season. However, we still wouldn’t know how good the Raiders. Is the AFC East that good? Is the NFC South that bad?

Nothing really surprising has happened this year. The Raiders offense looks efficient with Carr and Jacobs leading the way. The defense is still giving up big chunks versus the run and pass. They found just enough stops to beat two NFC South teams.

That is what the Raiders need this week. They need something unexpected versus a well coached and talented Bills team. We need a turnover or a big run or pass to really put Buffalo on their toes.

The Raiders usually find a way to beat Buffalo. Vegas is up 14-5 in the all-time series. Adding to that win total is not out of reach. It will just take capitalizing on the unexpected as well as applying pressure on Allen and creating turnovers.

My First Raider Game

My pilgrimage to the Mecca for Raider Nation was everything I had ever imaged. A place where I can be loud and drunk in favor of my R-A-I-D-E-R-S what else could I ask for? To make things even better, the Raiders got the W over the Buffalo Bills. Here are somethings I noticed on my trip.

The O.Co Colisem

With all the controversy over the Raiders trying to find a new home, you would think the Coliseum is a horrible place. I did experience the toilets flooding by aesthetic wise, the arena isn’t any worse than Dodger Stadium. Sure, it doesn’t have the same upgraded big screens but outside of that the Coliseum isn’t ugly. I never noticed the green seats though, #A’scity. Either way, their wasn’t a bad seat in that whole house.

Raider Nation

Words can not express how enthralled I was to be immersed within Raider Nation. It felt like home being amongst people with the same knowledge and love for the Raiders as I. Our fans get such a bad rep but it is not even necessary. I did not witness a fight now did I even hear a curse word. Not to mention it was new seeing white Raider fans opposed to the minority Raider fans I am used to seeing in So Cal.

Derek Carr’s improvement

From seeing Carr against the Cowboys in Training Camp til now, the improvement was exponential. Carr went from looking like an NFL QB and playing like a college QB to being the intangible franchise quarterback of this team. He did miss some open receivers but overall he showed much improved footwork and comfort in the pocket which was one of his biggest knocks coming out of the draft.

Bill’s young receivers

If you have read this blog before, you might recall my man crush on Sammy Watkins. It was a privilege seeing him play as he is the real deal. His explosiveness is as advertised and he should be a cornerstone for the Bills. Robert Woods also looked good. Meanwhile, Kyle Orton looked like Kyle Orton.

Raiders finally learning to win

From the get go, the Raiders never seemed intimidated by the potentially playoff bound Bills. The Raiders looked like a team with enough confidence to beat them. Then when it seemed like the Raiders might blow it, the Defense made the plays to stop the Bills including a Brandin Ross interception. Not to mention some of the big plays the Raiders put together on Offense via McFadden, Murray, and Rivera.

Credit Tony Sparano for getting this team to believe in themselves. Don’t look now, but the Raiders losing culture seems to be on the downswing. Maybe, this rookie class and home stretch is enough to save Reggie McKenzie’s Job.

Finally, it was one of the best days of my life. I will always remember my first Raider Game, and I am glad it was capped off with a win!