Oakland Raiders: 5 players to watch vs. New York Jets

Tight end Jared Cook had a nice debut for the Silver and Black in Week 1. The former Titans, St. Louis Rams and Green Bay Packers tight end had five catches for 56 yards in his first game with the Raiders. He had a long of 22, which set up the first touchdown of the game to Amari Cooper in the first quarter.

In essence, Cook gives the Raiders something they haven’t had in the receiving game at tight end. Cook is known for his speed at the position and his ability to come up with big grabs in key moments. Though he’s not the type of safety blanket tight end quarterback Derek Carr can force feed in times of need, Cook is solid and welcomed addition to the Raiders’ passing game.

Now that he’s had his first game out of the way with his new team, look for him to be even better against the Jets at home on Sunday. The crowd will be into this game, allowing Cook and company to play with just that little extra edge. Not saying Cook will have 100 yards receiving, but he could score his first touchdown for the Silver and Black in Week 2.

The key reason for this is that the Jets are without their long-time inside linebacker in David Harris. He was released by the team during the offseason and now plays for the rival New England Patriots. Harris was starting to show his age afoot, but he definitely got his teammates lined up right in New York. Now he’s gone and look for Cook to take advantage in Week 2.