By: Kevin Le

This Sunday the Las Vegas Raiders head to East Rutherford, New Jersey to take on the winless New York Jets. It was on November 24th, 2019 where the Raiders got blown out 34-3 to the Jets. With that loss, the Raiders went 1-5 the rest of the season and missed out on the playoffs. Having history repeat itself in New York with a loss would be 2020 in a nutshell for the Raiders. Losing this game like last year is not an option for the Raiders with the playoff race being so tight. The Raiders coming off a thirty-seven point loss hope to put on a better showing with a dominating win.

November 24th, 2019

It was a day to forget for the Raider fans, seeing their team lose 34-3 to the New York Jets. Last year the Raiders were 6-4 heading into New York with playoff aspirations in mind. After getting embarrassed in that game, the Raiders ended the season 1-5 and missed the playoffs. The same can be said this season if the Raiders leave New York with a loss. Last matchup against the Jets, Derek Carr and Josh Jacobs had a horrible game. Something about playing this game on the East Coast gives this team trouble. It was week 12 last year where the Raider’s season got turned around after a big loss to the Jets. Week 13 is here and again the Raiders head into New York with a chance to improve their playoff hopes.

What’s at Stake?

The Jets are winless and do not have much to play for, but the Raiders have everything to play for. With the Baltimore Ravens losing on Wednesday to the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Raiders move closer to an AFC wildcard spot. Having five games left, the Raider’s room for error is small if they want to play in January. Other teams who are competing for an AFC Wildcard spot are the Browns, Dolphins, Colts, and Patriots. As of now, the Raiders are the outside looking in, but still, control their destiny if they win out. At 6-5, losing any more games would make their playoff chances slim to none. Many eyes will be on the Raiders to see how they respond after last week’s abysmal performance in Atlanta.

Keys to Victory

The Raiders have a chance to revive their season with a win against the Jets by playing Raider football. The keys to victory are to run the ball with Josh Jacobs, get Darren Waller involved, and create turnovers on defense. Going against the 27th ranked defense in the Jets, the Raiders with all their weapons should put on a show. With Josh Jacobs and Devante Booker, the team is 8th in rushing with an opportunity to show why on Sunday. Derek Carr with Darren Waller and Nelson Agholor will be facing a struggling passing defense in the Jets. The Raider defense has been improving and will have to get to Sam Darnold to generate more turnovers. The team that creates more turnovers will be winners Sunday.

Prediction

Coming off a tough loss to the Falcons, the Raiders will bounce back with a big win against the Jets. Last week’s performance was not a true showing of how the Raiders play and they will get it together. The Jets are winless because of their losing culture and having a coach like Adam Gase. Those things will not change before Sunday and the Raiders have a lot more to play for this week. The Talent of the Raiders is much better than the Jets therefore this should not be a close contest. A winless Jets team will not upset the Raiders who are in the midst of a playoff run. The final score from New York will be 28-7, giving the Raiders a much-needed victory over the Jets.