Getting back on track is paramount for the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 8. They have a tough road trip to the East Coast on the horizon to take on a New York Jets team that is better than its 2-5 record suggests, but is fresh off a loss to the previously winless Miami Dolphins. Morale is low in New York.
Klint Kubiak's team needs to rebound in this one against a favorable opponent, as they are riding a four-game losing streak into the AFC matchup. If the Raiders can claw their way back to .500 at the midway point in the year, that would be a massive step in the right direction for the franchise.
But winning on the road, especially across the country in the early window, is no easy task. And Las Vegas laid an egg the last time it played a game that kicked off at 10 a.m. Pacific Time. However, if they can just control these three big matchups, they'll have a good chance of emerging victorious.
3 big matchups that will decide Raiders-Jets in Week 8
1. Ashton Jeanty vs. a pissed-off Jets run defense
Las Vegas' rushing attack still hasn't gotten off the ground this year, and yet Jeanty made a comment to the media that has become bulletin board material for the Jets. Simply, Jeanty thinks that this will be the week that the Raiders right the ship because New York has guys who "don't want to tackle."
Whether or not Jeanty should have made that comment is not the topic of discussion, but the Jets' defenders seemed peeved when asked about it. Hopefully, Jeanty can cash this check against a run defense that is dead last in run-stop win rate and may not have two starters on the defensive line.
2. Malcolm Koonce vs. Olu Fashanu
New York has a surprisingly stout offensive line, but Geno Smith is still taking three sacks a game. A lot of those have come from his blindside, as Pro Football Focus has attributed seven of his 21 sacks to Olu Fashanu, the Jets' starting left tackle. That'll be Malcolm Koonce's main matchup on Sunday.
Koonce has been up-and-down this year, but he needs to come alive at MetLife Stadium. Smith struggles under pressure, as Raider Nation knows, and Koonce has the best chance to make life hard for him, outside of Maxx Crosby. Heat from both sides could completely change Smith's approach.
If Koonce can find a way to have success against Fashanu, who is a talented young player, then Smith could take a lot of sacks, give the ball away, or become trigger-shy. All of those would play into Las Vegas' favor during the Week 8 showdown.
3. Kirk Cousins vs. blitz- and man-heavy Aaron Glenn defense
Cousins has struggled immensely against man blitzes in recent weeks, and that is what the Jets have done this year. According to Sharp Football Analytics, Aaron Glenn's defense is fourth in blitz rate and eighth in man coverage rate, so the Raiders better have a solid plan in place to help their veteran QB.
Should Cousins have issues finding positive plays to make against man blitzes again, the Las Vegas offense will sputter out of the gates, as it did a week ago. And the cries for Fernando Mendoza will only get louder (and more well-grounded).
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