Raiders case study: The 2007 New York Giants

Three key factors

I’ve covered the ways that these two teams are similar, but I wanted to summarize where the Raiders need to grow this season as well in order to be at the level of the 2007 Giants. The three main facets of the game that need improvement are protecting the quarterback, causing turnovers on defense, and improving the red zone offense. 

In terms of protecting the quarterback, I think it is fair to say that O’Connell himself may improve his awareness and evasiveness in the pocket. There are a few question marks on the offensive line but I think the unit will be comparable to last season and Getsy could design an offense where the quarterback gets the ball out of his hands quicker. 

As far as causing turnovers on defense, I think we already have a few key fixes on our roster. The addition of Christian Wilkins should cause even more disruption on opposing offensive lines and quarterbacks, which leads to more turnover-worthy plays. Malcolm Koonce and Jack Jones were the Raiders' two best playmakers in terms of causing turnovers, and with both of them slated to be starters from Day 1, unlike last year, the defense as a whole should benefit. 

The last key point is fixing the Raiders’ red zone woes. Last season, they were one of the worst teams in the league inside of the 20-yard line, only scoring a touchdown on 48.9% of their attempts. By comparison, the 2007 Giants were punching it in for a touchdown 54.5% of the time. Luckily for the Silver and Black, Getsy’s offense in Chicago last year was great in the red zone. They were bordering on being a top 10 red zone team, scoring touchdowns at a clip of 57.1%, a mark that was higher than the Chiefs, Packers and Texans.

If the team can improve in these three facets and be who they are supposed to be on paper, then it should not shock anyone to see the team have success and win 10 games. Now, going on a run in the playoffs and winning the Super Bowl is a different beast entirely, but I like how the Raiders stack up against this legendary team. They were built in the image of the 2007 Giants, let’s hope they perform like it.