The Raiders whooped the Bolts butt and it was amazing. I got to witness the greatness of the Raiders in its native home one last time. Shoutout to the Sacramento butcher who hooked it up with a nice cowboy steak. Also shout out to the dude who stole our compact toll box grill. The compact size was incredibly crucial for this quick turnaround. That is the last ride I guess for the limited edition grill.
Well it is on to the Cincinnati Bengals. A team the Raiders have always had weird ties to. The Bengals are currently headed towards a massive rebuild. Here’s what we want to see as we look to look for as we head to the playoffs.
Can the defensive line keep up the pressure?
Last Week, Clelin Ferrell had his break out game with 2.5 sacks versus the Chargers. A couple of those were discounted sacks due to Philip Rivers holding the ball too long. The Chargers O-line is also pretty bad versus any kind of speed.
All well, we will take it. the Raiders young defensive ends needed that confidence booster at home versus a rival and they should build on that versus the Bengals. They’ll be playing with a young quarterback Ryan Finley and down key players like AJ Green who have been hurt all season.
Hence, the Raiders should get another really strong performance versus the Bengals. Cincinnati also happens to be Raiders defensive coordinator Paul Guenther’s previous team.
Maintain Offensive Momentum
When I said other key players from years past I meant corner Dre Kirkpatrick who is also missing most of this season. The Bengals defense is already in a transition year with other key players missing time too.
That puts the pressure on the Raiders to score. Let’s see Oakland score early and often. Give Josh Jacobs and Tyrell Williams some load management. They’ve been battling various injuries that need rest and there is no need to kill yourself versus the winless Bengals.
Oakland should use Jacobs to establish themselves early then take their shots with Tyrell and company. I want to see Zay Jones make an impact today too versus the Bengals. Derek Carr should dominate and spread the ball around.
The Replacements
Oakland’s safety has been fluid for a few seasons now. They lost Karl Joseph and Lamarcus Joyner who were their best players and veteran leaders. They signed edge Dion Jordan and safety DJ Swearinger to help out. Swearinger should see some time but who knows. Erik Harris played the best game of his career and Curtis Riley has played and started for the Giants before playing in spots this season. Opportunities are limited there for Swearinger.
I’m most excited for Jordan because he has the highest ceiling. His tools are something you can’t teach and he flashed two seasons ago with the Seahawks. The Raiders have plenty of solid guys who can play but they need a specimen like Jordan who can win 1-on-1 pass rush on the edge, even if it is only in spots.
Ultimately, the Raiders need to handle their business as the football cliche goes. They need to build on the last game’s big performance, dominate early and lean on some lesser known characters to send the Bengals home one loss closer to the No. 1 overall pick.
