Oakland Raiders vs. New England Patriots: Complete Week 3 Preview for Oakland
Three weeks into the season, the Oakland Raiders are still looking for their first victory. Their next opportunity to do so will be Sunday when they visit Gillette Stadium to take on the New England Patriots. Kickoff is at 1 p.m. ET.
No matter where you look, the team has struggled. There have been flashes of production here and there, but nothing positive has happened often enough. This inconsistency will be under a microscope this week as the Raiders will have to play a nearly flawless game to have chance at a win.
The offense showed it could move the ball last week, but it fell victim to its own carelessness. Oakland's four turnovers proved to be the biggest factor in the game. They stopped promising Raiders' drives and consistently gave the Houston Texans good field position.
Even with the mistakes, the offense has at least shown potential. The same can't said for the defense, particularly the defensive line. Oakland's success against the Patriots will depend largely on the defensive line's ability to create pressure on Tom Brady.
The defensive linemen have to make Brady uncomfortable all game for the Raiders to have a chance. If they don't, this game could be over early.
The Raiders are a long shot to win on Sunday, but the team can—and needs to—take this as an opportunity to play much better than it has so far. This can be the first game of a different Oakland team, one that's going to be more competitive going forward.
This can be a defining game for Oakland. Even in a loss, a solid performance can change the team's path for the rest of the season.
Oakland Raiders Week 2 Recap
1 of 5
As the Raiders headed into the 2014 season with the NFL's toughest schedule, the Week 2 matchup against the Houston Texans was one of the few games many considered winnable. But that turned out not to be the case as this game was over before it began.
The Oakland defense was once again unable to give the team a chance to win, and the glaring problems were evident on the very first drive. Arian Foster found immediate success on the ground, and the defensive front was unable to generate any pressure on Ryan Fitzpatrick. The Houston offense easily marched down the field on a 10-play, 80-yard touchdown drive.
When the Oakland offense stepped onto the field for the first time, the unit was out there for only one minute, 25 seconds on a three-and-out that managed three yards and ended with a punt.
Both of these drives to start the game were a tell-tale sign of how the entire game would play out. The Texans were able to get whatever they wanted against the Oakland defense all game, and the Oakland offense was held scoreless for more than three-and-a-half quarters, by which point the game had been over for a while.
The biggest problem on defense for the Raiders remains the defensive line. After two games, the unit has yet to earn a single sack. More importantly, the linemen have yet to establish any sort of pressure. Opposing quarterbacks have been able to get comfortable in the pocket, making it easier to pick the secondary apart.
The unit has been as ineffective against the run. After giving up 212 rushing yards in Week 1, the Raiders gave up 188 yards on the ground against Houston. The 400 combined rushing yards makes the Oakland run defense easily the worst in the league thus far.
On offense, Oakland was its own worst enemy. The team actually outgained Houston in total yards 364 to 327, but there were also four turnovers. Ball security would have made this a much closer and winnable game, as the Raiders had several drives that looked promising. Unfortunately, they just couldn't get out of their way and ended up doing most of the work for the Texans defense.
This team isn't good enough to overcome so many mistakes. Ball security has to be a primary focus. Even if an offensive drive ends with no points, it can't also end with giving the opposing offense great field position.
Defensively, the Raiders need to pick an identity. They've been weak against the pass and the run through two weeks. The coaches have to make a decision and commit to taking at least one of these away.
News and Notes
2 of 5
Rookies having quiet but solid start
Khalil Mack and Gabe Jackson haven't made many headlines through the first two weeks of the season, but both have had promising starts to their careers despite the team's overall disappointing performance.
Per Pro Football Focus (via Bleacher Report's Christopher Hansen), Mack is among the NFL's top-rated linebackers: He's Oakland's top-rated defender against the run, ranked fifth in the league among 3-4 outside linebackers and rated fourth overall at the position. He's yet to get a sack, so the highlight plays haven't been there. But he's already proving to be one of the most effective at his position in the entire league.
Jackson has been as impressive. ESPN.com's Bill Williamson reports that offensive coordinator Greg Olson has been extremely impressed with his overall game. Jackson has exhibited good strength and speed as a run-blocker, and he's improved dramatically as a pass-blocker. His play has provided signs that he could lock down the left guard position for the next decade.
The Raiders have gotten off to a bad start, but Mack and Jackson have provided some hope, at least for the future.
Is Brown the missing piece for Oakland offense?
When Vincent Brown was surprisingly cut by the San Diego Chargers, the Raiders immediately went after him. Despite having meetings set up with other teams, he signed with the Raiders after he was able to prove that he's fully healed from a calf injury.
Brown has indicated that he's hoping to contribute as soon as possible, but he's also aware that he has major work to do in order to catch up. He had this to say, per CSNBayArea.com's Scott Bair: "It’s a new system and obviously new terminology, which is probably the hardest part about it right now. I’m just trying to slow everything down at the moment and get adjusted to the system get acclimated with these guys."
Bair notes that the coaches have wasted no time in trying to make Brown an immediate focal point of the offense. However, given that he just signed with the team this week and is still learning the playbook, his impact against New England will likely be minimal.
But over the course of the season, he could prove to be the sure-handed deep threat this team needs to consistently stretch the field and make everyone else more productive.
Raiders defense adding injury to insult
The Oakland defense has struggled this season, and that was with a mostly healthy roster. Now, the team is going to have to figure out some way to play better against better competition with backups on the field.
Per Bair, the team could potentially be without as many as six defensive starters on Sunday: Sio Moore, Justin Tuck, Antonio Smith, Nick Roach, Carlos Rogers and Chimdi Chekwa. Tuck is listed as probable despite missing practice time this week. Moore has already been ruled out, and the rest are listed as questionable.
Even if most of these players do end up playing, it remains to be seen how close they'll be to full strength and how effective they can actually be.
Things seem to be going from bad to worse for the Oakland defense. It was going to be hard enough to stop Tom Brady, and that was with a healthy roster. It's going to get much tougher to do the job with several reserves starting or seeing significant time.
Injury Report
3 of 5
| Player | Position | Injury Status |
| Sio Moore | WLB | Out |
| Maurice Jones-Drew | RB | Questionable |
| Nick Roach | MLB | Questionable |
| Matt McCants | OT | Questionable |
| Chimdi Chekwa | CB | Questionable |
| Carlos Rogers | CB | Questionable |
| Rod Streater | WR | Questionable |
| Antonio Smith | DT | Questionable |
| Justin Tuck | DE | Probable |
*All injury statuses from CSNBayArea.com's Scott Bair.
The Raiders have been struggling defensively, and fixing this problem is going to be more difficult with so many injuries on that side of the ball.
Tuck is likely to play, but that's little comfort given his lack of production. However, there's only one way to get his game back on track, and that's by being on the field. He'll have a chance to break out of his slump and get his first sack of the season against the Patriots.
Chekwa, Rogers and Smith are also dealing with injuries. All three are projected to start on Sunday, and the team doesn't have the depth to deal with their absence.
It's still unclear if Chekwa and Rogers will play, but their presence would be huge for the defense. Although the cornerbacks have struggled, they're both top options at the position. Even if they're not at full strength, the defense is still better with them than without them.
Per CSNBayArea.com's Scott Bair, T.J. Carrie has been seeing time in nickel packages. If Rogers can't go, Carrie will take his place.
Smith is the most recent addition to the injury list with a back injury, and it's unclear just how bad it is. Although Smith has been part of the underperforming defensive line, his activity will be missed if he's out. Stacy McGee and Rookie Justin Ellis will step in if Smith is scratched on Sunday.
Streater suffered a hip injury in Week 2, but although he's listed as questionable, he's likely to play. This is especially important given that he's one of Derek Carr's top targets. It's possible that he'll be limited even if he does play, which means Denarius Moore and Andre Holmes will have to step up and make plays.
Jones-Drew's status is still up in the air following surgery on his hand last week. All reports indicate that he'll be back soon, but how soon still hasn't been determined. Whether he plays or not, expect Darren McFadden to take on the bulk of the workload in the running game.
Three weeks into the season, Roach has yet to play following a concussion suffered in the third game of the preseason. His recovery has been slow, and he's yet to be cleared. Kaluka Maiava will replace him in the starting lineup, which will hurt the defense both in terms of production and leadership.
The biggest loss is going to be Moore, who's been ruled out for Sunday's matchup. He's been one of the defense's few productive players, and he also plays on the thinnest position group on the team.
His absence means that Miles Burris is going to start at weak-side linebacker. Burris is an aggressive, high-motor player, but he doesn't possess the same athleticism as Moore. Burris is going to see some time against Rob Gronkowski, and the Raiders are going to need him to be at least somewhat effective if they hope to slow the New England offense.
Moore's absence and the likelihood that Roach won't play also mean that the Raiders are down to four active linebackers, one of which is rookie Bojay Filimoeatu, who was added from the practice squad just last week. At this point, he's mainly on the roster to fill a spot, and he can't yet be depended on.
Burris, Maiava and Khalil Mack are going to have their work cut out for them against Tom Brady.
.jpg?w=256 "Colts Jaguars Football")
X-Factors and Matchups to Watch
4 of 5
Carlos Rogers and T.J. Carrie vs. Julian Edelman
Through two weeks, Edelman has been the Patriots' most dangerous receiver. He has 12 catches, 176 yards and a touchdown. The responsibility for stopping him on Sunday will fall on Rogers.
Brady is very good at finding ways to get his slot receivers the ball in catch-and-run situations. Rogers is going to have to be physical with Edelman at the line of scrimmage and through the first five yards. He has to do everything he can to disrupt Edelman's routes, because when he hauls in the ball, he will most often be in situations where he can get yards after the catch.
As important as this matchup is, exactly how it will play out won't be known until game time because of injuries. If Rogers can't play, or if he is healthy but Chekwa is out, Carrie will step in as the primary slot corner. But whether it's Rogers or Carrie, being physical with Edelman for four quarters will be crucial.
Khalil Mack vs. Rob Gronkowski
Gronkowski will get moved around a lot, so who's covering him will change throughout the game. But given Mack's size and speed, he'll likely be the primary defender.
Mack's primary responsibility in coverage will be to keep Gronkowski in front of him. Once Gronkowski gets the ball and gets rolling downfield, it's too late. Mack's coverage needs to be tight, and his tackling needs to be solid.
The pass rush will be as important to stopping Gronkowski as actual pass coverage. Although Mack has yet to pick up a sack, it's already become evident that tackles have a hard time handling him one-on-one. This means that tight ends are going to be sent his way to help. The more effective Mack can be as a pass-rusher, the more Gronkowski will be asked to stay and help, reducing the number of times he leaves the line as a pass-catcher.
Oakland defensive line vs. New England offensive line
Zero sacks.
That's what the starting defensive line has accomplished through two games. It's indicative of a unit that's been pushed around and has been unable to generate consistent quarterback pressure.
If this is the case against Brady, it's going to be a very long day. The defensive line has to make him uncomfortable.
Blitzes can help pick up the slack, but at some point, this unit needs to be able to hold its own. That needs to start this week. So far this season, the Oakland defensive line has been dominated. The Raiders have to force the New England offensive line to at least respect the four-man rush.
And that sack total has to be above zero by the time the final whistle blows.
X-Factor of the Week: Darren McFadden
The Patriots gave up only 54 yards on the ground last week against the Minnesota Vikings, but that was without Adrian Peterson in the game and against only 19 carries. In Week 1 against the Miami Dolphins, New England was shredded on the ground by Knowshon Moreno and Lamar Miller, giving up 191 yards on 38 attempts, an average of five yards per carry.
McFadden needs to have a big game for the Raiders to have a chance, both in terms of workload and production. Establishing a reliable running game, something that's yet to happen this season, will keep the Patriots offense off the field while also creating a more balanced and dangerous Oakland attack.
For this to work, McFadden needs to get around 20 carries and average four to five yards per attempt. If he doesn't, the Oakland defense will be on the field too long, and it'll only be a matter of time before the game gets away from the Raiders.
Prediction
5 of 5
There are few games on the Oakland schedule that are considered winnable. This isn't one of them.
Several factors are going against the Raiders. This is a trip to the East Coast, where Oakland hasn't won in years. It's also against an elite quarterback, and the Raiders defense has a weak secondary and a defensive line that can't generate any pressure.
But because of the way the defense has played so far, this will be a shot at early-season redemption. The secondary will be physical, and the defensive line will pick up its first sack of the season.
The offense will continue to improve under the leadership of Derek Carr. There will still be some plays where he misses a receiver or a pass, but the offense overall will continue to show signs of its potential, and it will get on the board early to keep the game reasonably close.
The Raiders have to establish the run early, so McFadden will see plenty of touches early and often. Losing his starting job lit a fire under him, as evidenced by the powerful and violent running he exhibited last week. He'll get increased touches and make them count.
Ultimately, the Raiders are overmatched in the talent department, but that can't be helped. What can be controlled is the level of effort, something that has left a lot to be desired. New England will win, but the Raiders make the Pats earn it.
Despite the loss, Oakland will play better overall on both sides of the ball. It will mean the team is off to a 0-3 start, but unlike the previous two losses, there will at least be some positives to build on going forward.
Prediction: New England 27, Oakland 17
Unless otherwise noted, all stats taken from ESPN.com.
Share your thoughts and opinions on Twitter @BrianJ_Flores.
.jpg?w=480 "Colts Jaguars Football")
.png?w=480)
