Match-up 101: Determining the Raiders and Jets Winner
By Jordan Trask
Aug 8, 2014; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Oakland Raiders assistant head coach/offensive line Tony Sparano talks to his team during a break in the game with the Minnesota Vikings at TCF Bank Stadium. Vikings win 10-6. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Kluckhohn-USA TODAY Sports
When I began to list my determining factors, I had Derek Carr at the top of the list. As I continued to dig into this match-up, I realized this may not be Carr’s game to win. When analyzing the acquisition of Matt Schaub, I concluded that the Raiders weren’t going to need him to be a top-10 QB in 2014. Now that Carr has taken over the reigns, I refuse to change my perspective.
During the offseason, the Raiders expressed their desire for control in the trenches. Not only has the Raiders offensive line seen drastic improvement in the last 6 months, they’ve compiled depth. This was a large deficiency for last year’s team.
As the Jets possess one of the most feared defensive lines in the NFL, it will be imperative that the Raiders generate a positive push in order to move the chains. Once the Jet’s front-7 gets rolling, it’s hard to control the line of scrimmage. If the Raiders are able to protect Carr they have a chance to put up some big passing numbers.
With Tony Sparano and Austin Howard returning to New York, the Raiders should have a slight advantage in this department. Not only does Howard know the Jet’s defensive tendencies, he should maintain his knowledge of their defensive line’s strengths and weaknesses.
If the offensive line struggles, Carr could begin his career running for his life while Oakland never gets the ground game going. Offensive holding penalties could lose the game for Oakland and it’s just as important for them to keep their cool throughout the game as well. This is the most obvious determining factor and it should be fun to watch the Raiders and Jets battle it out in the trenches for 4 quarters.
The Raiders have a consistent offensive line for the first time in a long time and look to take advantage of their camaraderie entering week 1.