5 realistic expectations for the Oakland Raiders in Week 11

GLENDALE, AZ - AUGUST 12: Running back David Johnson #31 of the Arizona Cardinals rushes the football past cornerback David Amerson #29 of the Oakland Raiders during the first half of the NFL game at the University of Phoenix Stadium on August 12, 2017 in Glendale, Arizona. The Cardinals defeated the Raiders 20-10. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) /

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OAKLAND, CA – NOVEMBER 11: Tahir Whitehead #59 of the Oakland Raiders reacts after a play against the Los Angeles Chargers during their NFL game at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum on November 11, 2018 in Oakland, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) /

The defense can perform well

Last week against the Los Angeles Chargers fans were pleasantly surprised to see that it was the defensive unit that played better than the offense, and for a good portion of the game they kept Phillip Rivers and the offense in check. Eventually the Chargers compiled a few scoring drives to put the game away, but the defense played inspired.

Against the Cardinals they’ll be playing against the 31st ranked team in points per game, so the defense has a prime opportunity ahead of them to put on back-to-back strong performances. Additionally they’ve got a rookie quarterback under center who has thrown eight interceptions to just six touchdowns on the year.

Then again we did see this Raiders defense get carved up by Nick Mullens, a third string quarterback in his debut. With the way this season is going it’s ultimately a toss-up on how well the defensive unit will perform, but on Sunday they’ve got a good chance of playing inspired once again.

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