Oakland Raiders will benefit greatly from Marcus Peters suspension

For the third week in a row, the Oakland Raiders will be playing a team that is intentionally tying one hand behind its back. Marcus Peters being out helps.

For whatever reason, the Oakland Raiders have gotten a bit of a lucky streak with the teams they are matching up with. Oakland is 4-2 in its last six games, but the Raiders’ two most recent wins have come against two awful football teams that beat themselves before the game even began.

Back in Week 12, the Denver Broncos thought it was a smart idea to start Paxton Lynch at quarterback over Brock Osweiler and Trevor Siemian. It was not, Lynch got hurt and Siemian couldn’t mount the comeback for the Broncos. This is the worst Denver team we’ve seen since who knows how long. The Broncos have lost an unthinkable eight games in a row.

Last week saw the end of Eli Manning‘s start streak with the New York Giants. Though his play has been inconsistent for New York for years, he was a lock to start for the Giants all the way up until Ben McAdoo’s final game coaching the team. Oakland handled his back up Geno Smith to get back to .500 at 6-6 in Week 13.

Once again, the Raiders will have a lucky break going their way. The arch rival Kansas City Chiefs are suspending their best defensive player in cornerback Marcus Peters. His actions versus the New York Jets in Week 13 had head coach Andy Reid suspend Peters for this Week 14 must-win game for Kansas City. Stepping up for Peters is an also-ran version of Darrelle Revis. Advantage: Raiders.

Sure, Raider Nation can take these three questionable personnel moves by the Raiders’ last three opponents as a sign of disrespect. Or we can just take the wins, or the increased likelihood of getting there in Kansas City’s case.

No, this streak of good fortune will not end after Week 14 hopefully. Keep in mind that Week 15 will be the sixth and final week of Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott‘s suspension. Dallas would obviously want its most impactful player out there, but again, the Raiders caught another break.

Must Read: Marcus Peters suspended by Chiefs vs. Raiders Sunday

If the Raiders take care of business and put the awful Chiefs out their own misery on Sunday, the Silver and Black could very well be at 7-6 all by themselves atop the AFC West standings. The Los Angeles Chargers will host a feisty Washington Redskins team on Sunday afternoon.

This Peters suspension reeks of Reid trying desperately to regain control of his lost team. Peters seemed to be the only defensive player who cared for the Chiefs. Revis is getting a paycheck, and that’s why he’s out there.

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So the Raiders are going against an arch rival on the road without its two best defensive backs. Peters is out because Reid says he’s out. Safety Eric Berry can’t play obviously because he ruptured his Achilles’ back in September. Let’s not forget that pass rusher Dee Ford just went on season-ending IR.

Let’s be real. The 2017 Raiders are not nearly as good as the team that went 12-4 a year ago. That being said, this team is getting hot at the right time. Yes, a lot of this has to do with playing some of the worst teams in football, but a win is a win.

Simply put, this is a game that the Raiders have to have. Normally, winning at Arrowhead is tough sledding. However, the Peters suspension tells you everything you need to know about the state of the 2017 Chiefs.

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Look for Derek Carr to exploit a past his prime Revis on the outside with some deep-threat passing action. You have to believe that one explosive play for the Raiders will be the difference in this rivalry game. Oakland can definitely win this AFC West. It starts with a win in Kansas City.

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