Oakland Raiders Week 12 X-Factors against the New York Jets
By Matt Holder
With the playoffs in reach, the Oakland Raiders head to the Big Apple in week 12 to take on the New York Jets. The following Raiders x-factors must perform well to continue to make a push towards the postseason.
A wise man once said – and I’m paraphrasing – “We won one game…if we win the next one that’s called two in a row, and if we win the one after that, that’s called a winning streak.” Well, Lou Brown would be proud of the Oakland Raiders as they swept the recent home stand and officially started a winning streak.
To keep the momentum going against the New York Jets, the Raiders x-factors need to be at the top of their game.
When comparing the teams’ records (6-4 and 3-7) it looks like the Raiders should run away with this one, however, the contest has potential “trap game” written all over it for Oakland. West coast teams typically don’t fare well when traveling east, especially with an early kickoff, and it’s the time of year when the weather can become a significant factor.
Not to mention the Jets have more talent on the roster than their record implies and have won their last two contests.
Oakland is in the midst of not only a playoff chase, but also a chance at the organization’s first division title since 2002. A win against New York means the Raiders and Chiefs will be tied for the AFC West lead heading into their week 13 matchup. Of course, before the Silver and Black can look ahead to next week, they have to take care of business against the Jets.
Here are our X-factors for Week 12.