Getty Oakland Raiders quarterback Derek Carr.
It came at a really bad time for the Oakland Raiders to put up their worst performance of the season, but they got absolutely fleeced by the New York Jets. The team started off the game poorly and got worse as it went on. The referees certainly didn’t help things, but losing by over 30 points is inexcusable. It’s made worse by the fact that the Jets were a 3-7 team heading into this matchup and very much out of the playoff race.
Even during the Raiders’ three-game winning streak, they weren’t perfect. They could’ve easily lost all three of those games. However, the team hasn’t looked this lifeless since Week 6 against the Green Bay Packers. For some reason, if Oakland gets down early and by multiple scores, they have a really hard time pulling things together. Four of the team’s five losses have been by 18 points or more and they haven’t won a game by more than 8 points.
It has become clear that this Raiders team is still a year away from true playoff contention. That’s not necessarily a bad thing considering not many people expected them to be as good as they are this season. The team desperately needs a number one receiver as Tyrell Williams had his worst game of the season. Fortunately, the Raiders have two first-round picks in the 2020 NFL Draft and will almost certainly use one of them on a wide receiver. There was a lot of excitement around this team, but this loss to the Jets proves that the team has major flaws.
It was clear that the players for the Raiders weren’t very happy with the loss.
Johnathan Hankins: “We didn’t show up. They kicked our ass.”
@Raiders Richie Incognito on whether today is a learning experience: “It has to be.”
This team has bounced back from bad losses before. They were blown out by the Minnesota Vikings in Week 3 and were able to pull off a win the following week. Unfortunately for the Raiders, their next game will be in Kansas City.
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Next Game Is a Must Win
The Raiders may have put up a pathetic performance against a mediocre team, but they still could make it to the playoffs and even win the division. One thing is for sure and Derek Carr knows it, Oakland needs to show up to Kansas City ready to play.
Derek Carr on facing the Chiefs next week: “We better show up or they’re going to beat us by 50.”
Carr is coming off back-to-back bad games and can’t afford a third. He’s played terribly at Arrowhead stadium in the past and his performance in New York doesn’t exactly inspire much confidence. Luckily, he won’t have to do everything against the Chiefs.
Josh Jacobs just put up the worst game of his short career against the Jets. New York has the best run defense in the NFL, so it’s not entirely surprising. The Chiefs are much weaker against the run. Jacobs should have a chance to bounce back in a big way. Expect the Raiders to rely on Jacobs early and often in Kansas City. A big game from the rookie may be enough for Oakland to pull off the upset.
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