Oakland Raiders: 5 keys to victory vs. New England Patriots
By John Buhler
Pound the rock with conviction.
The less time that Brady has the ball in his hands, the better. For this to happen, Oakland will need to have one of its best rushing performances of the season. The Raiders will need a heavy dose of Marshawn Lynch, plus some Jalen Richard and DeAndre Washington action to spell him.
Yes, this game will be at altitude, so using a running back rotation effectively will be paramount for the Raiders. While Lynch and company could be gassed playing at elevation, frankly, so will the New England front-seven. Then again, the Patriots did spend all week in Colorado Springs to get adjusted for this game.
It’s not just keeping the ball away from Brady, but attacking the middle of the New England defense on the ground could work. The Patriots might be a Super Bowl favorite, but their 2017 defense is far from championship caliber. It’s strength is in the secondary and is a tad also-ran in the middle of its front-seven.
Losing Rob Ninkovich to retirement and Dont’a Hightower for the year due to injury isn’t helping the Patriots out at all. Oakland has had a week to get healthier coming off the bye. There is no excuse for the Raiders to not give the best effort in this game. Run the ball with authority, guys!