New York Jets vs. Oakland Raiders: Full New York Game Preview

These aren't the New York Jets from years past—and these certainly aren't the Oakland Raiders of recent memory. 

For so long, Oakland was known as the team that couldn't get out of its own way. The Coliseum was the place high-priced free agents came to fade into mediocrity, while draft picks were used on players that oh so very often ended their careers with the label "bust."

The Jets were known as the trash-talking loudmouths from Jersey, those who liked to yap-up quite the game but very rarely matched their walks with their talks. They were undisciplined and never had a competent signal-caller, and more drama surrounded the team in Florham Park than a daytime soap opera.

But that's not the case anymore.

The two teams most commonly know as the NFL's basement dwellers and laughingstocks are suddenly anything but. Both the Jets and Raiders are far from bad—they're better than average. Believe it or not, the two teams are... good.

On Sunday, New York and Oakland will meet at the Coliseum to find out who's better. So what should you look forward to?

Here's what to watch for when when the Jets square off against the Raiders.

Date: Sunday, Nov. 1
Location: Oakland Coliseum, Oakland CA
Time: 4:25 p.m. ET
TV: CBS

Week 7 Recap: New England Patriots 30, New York Jets 23

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Ryan Fitzpatrick walks off the field following the Jets' loss to the Patriots.

Last Sunday's game against the New England Patriots was supposed to be a measuring stick for the Jets. After beating up on some of the lower-level teams through the season's first month, this was the first elite-level talent New York would face. 

Could the Jets show they were legitimate contenders for a potential AFC East title, or at minimum a playoff spot? Or would New England make a mockery of Gang Green?

While the Jets failed to pull out a victory, falling to New England, 30-23, New York showed its 4-2 mark was far from a quickly fading mirage. The Jets were every bit as good as their record indicated. 

"I think the hardest thing to swallow is that we had them right where we wanted them," Jets guard Willie Colon said. "We were the more physical team."

For the majority of last Sunday's game, New England and New York traded punches, with no team holding more than a one-possession lead until the final quarter.

Both teams opened the game with field goals, then New York got in the end zone first when quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick hit receiver Jeremy Kerley for a five-yard touchdown. Not much later, Patriots quarterback Tom Brady ran in from a yard to tie the game, and back-to-back Stephen Gostkowski field goals gave New England a six-point lead. 

Having watched the Patriots score 13 unanswered points, Fitzpatrick took the Jets 80 yards in 13 plays, capping the drive with a nine-yard touchdown pass to running back Chris Ivory. A Nick Folk field goal on the ensuing drive gave the Jets a 20-16 lead in the fourth quarter, but back-to-back Brady touchdowns to Danny Amendola and Rob Gronkowski all but iced New England's victory. 

Fitzpatrick finished the game 22-of-39 for 295 yards with a pair of touchdowns and no interceptions. Entering the game, Fitzpatrick had only been sacked twice in the Jets' previous five games. Against New England, Jamie Collins and Chandler Jones each recorded sacks. 

The Patriots were able to keep Ivory in check, limiting the back to just 41 yards on 17 carries. Eric Decker led New York in receiving, catching six passes for 94 yards, while Brandon Marshall finished with four catches for 67 yards. 

For New England, Brady completed 34 of 54 passes for 355 yards and two scores. Eleven of those passes and 108 of the yards were credited to Gronkowski, who also caught a touchdown. Amendola finished with eight receptions for 86 yards and a score. 

News and Notes

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Jets receiver Jeremy Kerley catches a touchdown against the Oakland Raiders.

Is Jeremy Kerley becoming a part of the offense?

It was the two-part question concerning the Jets offense. It started with trying to locate fifth-year receiver Jeremy Kerley. Once the wideout was spotted with the third- and fourth-string offense, the second part came up: Why is Jeremy Kerley with the third- and fourth-string offense?

With New York's new offensive coordinator Chan Gailey preferring big-bodied wideouts and Kerley standing just 5'9", the Jets' new scheme has quickly moved away from having Kerley on the field in favor of some taller targets. Instead of having Kerley in the slot, a place he has occupied for the last several seasons, the Jets put the 6'3" Eric Decker there and rotated the 6'0" Chris Owusu and 6'1" Devin Smith in and out on the outside. 

"There are guys that are playing better," Jets coach Todd Bowles said earlier in the year. "So those are the guys that are playing."

But slowly but surely, Kerley has started to work himself back into the rotation. And with Smith, who's now dealing with an injured ankle, struggling to adapt to the NFL game, and Owusu suffering the fifth concussion of his career, Kerley may be in line to see his playing time increase quite a bit. 

This season, Kerley's essentially been benched in all but two games (Philadelphia Eagles, New England Patriots). In the two games he's played, he's caught two red-zone touchdowns. If Owusu can't go, and neither can Smith, and if Quincy Enunwa still suspended for another three weeks, Kerley won't just play but could be a key part of the offense. 

Who starts at center for the Jets?

It was one of the scarier moments of last Sunday's loss to the Patriots. On New York's second-to-last drive, All-Pro center Nick Mangold looked to chip blitzing Patriots linebacker Jamie Collins. As Mangold got off his block, his head collided with the chest of Collins.

Mangold instantly dropped to the turf and lay motionless for several minutes. Trainers rushed onto the field, and Mangold slowly worked himself to his feet and was helped off the field. Tests the next day revealed no extensive damage to Mangold's neck, but his status for Sunday's game is doubtful. 

"He’s sore, but he’s doing OK," Bowles said. "He’s got to get the soreness out. Obviously, the X-rays were negative, but he can’t do anything until he’s feeling better."

On practice Wednesday, Bowles said the team worked both Wesley Johnson and Dakota Dozier with the first unit at center. Reason for concern? Uh, a little. Johnson was just activated from the practice squad Wednesday and has never played in an NFL game.

Dozier? Well, he at least has game experience. Four plays, that is. 

Mangold is viewed as the second quarterback on the Jets line, and Ryan Fitzpatrick made reference Monday to how many times the center has "saved my butt." Not having the big man on the field to face a defensive front that features Khalil Mack and Aldon Smith? That could spell trouble. 

Whether Mangold will be able to go will likely be determined by how much he does in the coming days. Bowles did indicate that even if Mangold doesn't practice, he does see a situation where he could still suit up against Oakland. 

"It's conceivable," Bowles said. 

Will the Jets bounce back after losing to New England?

The talk all week in Florham Park has been how the Jets are done with last week's loss to New England and have moved on to Oakland. Players, coaches and others have refused to talk about the last game; not one more peep. After Monday's conference calls, that was it. 

Seriously—no joke. On Wednesday, safety Marcus Gilchrist was asked about the Patriots and he replied, "Oakland." Nothing else. Just "Oakland."

Sticking on New England for just a bit longer: As much as the Jets' previous matchups against the Patriots have been hyped up, there really haven't been many hangovers after losses. Since 2011, the Jets have lost to the Patriots six times. In the weeks following those losses, the team has responded with wins four times. 

Still, this wasn't just another loss that New York is coming off. The game was in the Jets' hands. Quite literally, it was in and out of Brandon Marshall's. Will that linger just a bit? Or is New York really "onto Oakland"?

Sunday, we'll find out.

Latest Injury News

Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

Receiver Devin Smith catches a pass

Player Name	Position	Injury	WED	THURS	FRI	Game Status
Willie Colon	OG	Knee	DNP	LTD	LTD	QST
Eric Decker	WR	Knee	DNP	LTD	LTD	QST
Nick Mangold	C	Neck	DNP	DNP	DNP	DBT
Chris Owusu	WR	Concussion	DNP	DNP	DNP	OUT
Bilal Powell	RB	Ankle	DNP	LTD	DNP	OUT
Calvin Pryor	S	Ankle	DNP	DNP	DNP	OUT
Buster Skrine	CB	Shoulder/Hand	LTD	LTD	LTD	QST
Devin Smith	WR	Ankle	LTD	DNP	DNP	OUT
Dion Bailey	S	Hip	FULL	FULL	FULL	PRB
Breno Giacomini	OT	Thumb	FULL	FULL	FULL	PRB
Chris Ivory	RB	Hamstring	FULL	FULL	FULL	PRB
Ryan Quigley	P	Shin	FULL	FULL	FULL	PRB
Leonard Williams	DE	Knee	FULL	FULL	FULL	PRB
Marcus Williams	CB	Hamstring	FULL	FULL	FULL	PRB

Chart Codes: TBD (to be determined); DNP (did not practice); LTD (limited); Probable (75 percent chance of playing); Questionable (50 percent chance of playing); Doubtful (25 percent chance of playing);Out (zero percent chance of playing)

Wednesday, Oct. 29: Bowles said that rookie receiver Devin Smith started practice, then injured his ankle in practice and left early. The severity of the injury is not yet known. Cornerback Buster Skrine has a broken finger but will play with a cast. Chris Ivory was a full participant after rotating in and out of Sunday's game against New England. 

Key Matchups

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Oakland Raiders receiver Amari Cooper.

Amari Cooper vs. Darrelle Revis

This whole NFL thing was supposed to be hard, right? Amari Cooper was going to be a solid pro, but nothing great, right? 

Right?

Well, not right. Actually, dead wrong—at least one month into the regular season. 

Through six games, the Raiders rookie wideout has been making a mockery of each and every team he's faced. Teaming up with second-year quarterback Derek Carr, Cooper has been nearly impossible to guard, especially of late, and is looking every bit as good as last season's Rookie of the Year, Odell Beckham Jr. 

Cooper has hauled in 33 passes for 519 yards and three touchdowns. If he keeps with this pace, the rookie will catch 88 passes for 1,384 yards and eight touchdowns this season. That's good—really good. 

But Cooper hasn't faced Darrelle Revis yet. And there really isn't a better "Hey, rookie, welcome to the NFL" test than taking a one-week vacation to Revis Island.

At 30 years old, Revis has shown he's better than ever in his second tour with the Jets. The cornerback has intercepted three passes (his most since 2011) and recovered three fumbles (a career high), and his involvement in six turnovers is his most since 2009. 

According to Pro Football Focus, Revis has been thrown at 30 times this season and has allowed just 14 completions; that's a catch percentage of 46.7 percent. What's a quarterback's rating when throwing his way? A measly 36.0. Revis hasn't had marks that low since 2011. 

Speaking via conference call on Monday, Revis said he's watched "a little" film of Cooper and called the rookie a "talent." That's about as good of a compliment as you'll get out of the future Hall of Famer.

The battle between the two will certainly be worth watching on Sunday. 

Khalil Mack, Aldon Smith vs. D'Brickashaw Ferguson, Breno Giacomini

When Aldon Smith was released by the San Francisco 49ers, questions immediately were raised regarding if the talented pass-rusher would ever get a chance to play in the NFL again. Sure, when on the field, Smith was one of the best. But off it? He couldn't be trusted. 

The Raiders figured they'd give him one more shot. Now they're being rewarded. 

Smith and Khalil Mack have become quite the dynamic pass-rushing duo in the NFL. According to PFF, the two have combined for five quarterback sacks, six quarterback hits and 40 quarterback hurries.

The only duo with more hurries is Kansas City's Justin Houston and Tamba Hali.

So how will the Jets slow the two? Aside from chips, the task will largely fall on the shoulders of veterans D'Brickashaw Ferguson and Breno Giacomini.

This season, the Jets' two offensive tackles are a big reason Ryan Fitzpatrick has been sacked a league-low four times. While Ferguson and Giacomini have allowed 28 quarterback hurries, only once has Fitzpatrick gone to the ground because of one of them. 

Still, neither has faced a challenge like the one the Raiders present. And if the two can't keep Fitzpatrick on his feet, it'll be tough for the Jets to grab their fifth win. 

Matchup X-Factor

Al Pereira/Getty Images

Brandon Marshall (15) celebrates a touchdown by Chris Ivory (33).

Jets X-Factor of the Week: Chris Ivory

Ask any coach on the Jets what makes the offense run, and you'll get one answer. 

Ask any player on the Jets what makes the offense run, and you'll get that same answer. 

Ask anyone ever associated with the Jets franchise what makes that offense run, and you'll get the same...well, you get the point. 

When the Jets offense is rolling, Chris Ivory is a big reason why. Everything goes through the sixth-year back. He sets up the run; he sets up the pass. He makes life easier for everyone from Ryan Fitzpatrick to Brandon Marshall to Sheldon Richardson and Darrelle Revis. When the 6'0", 222-pound bruiser is rolling, so are the New York Jets. 

But when Ivory's off...well, things with New York don't really go as smoothly. 

It's not a weird coincidence but rather an expected result that Ivory's two worst games of the season are also the two in which New York lost. Against the Philadelphia Eagles, Ivory didn't play while dealing with a groin injury, and the Jets lost, 24-17. Against the Patriots, Ivory injured his hamstring on the first drive and finished with just 41 rushing yards on 17 carries...his lowest yardage and yards-per-carry average of the season. 

If the Jets want to have offensive success, they need to get Ivory going. They know that, and so do the Raiders. It'll be Oakland's No. 1 priority to make sure the team keeps Ivory in check. 

This year, the Raiders have been one of the stouter defenses against the run. The group has allowed just 506 rushing yards on the season, which ranks second-fewest in the NFL. The team is allowing just 3.7 yards per carry, tied for fourth-best in the NFL. Oakland is also letting up an average of just 84.3 yards per game, which is third-best in the NFL. 

Ivory has rushed 100 times this season for 501 yards and four touchdowns, an average of 100 yards per game. 

So who gets the edge on Sunday? Whether it's Ivory or the Raiders rush defense may be the difference in the game. 

Prediction

Ed Mulholland/Getty Images

Calvin Pace chases down Derek Carr during the 2014 NFL season opener for both teams.

If you took the Oakland Raiders team right now and put them in a time machine, fast-forwarded five years and then had the 2020 Oakland Raiders play the 2015 New York Jets, the game may not even be close. 

Imagine what Derek Carr will look like a few seasons down the road, or Khalil Mack, Amari Cooper, Latavius Murray. The Raiders have a core that aren't just good now but are only getting better. In four, five, six years, Oakland could be one of the best teams in the league. 

It's crazy to think about, but it's accurate. 

The issue with Oakland is that right now, the team is still very young and are still learning to play together. So many players on the Raiders roster will still make those rookie mistakes, aren't as technically polished as others in the league and just aren't there yet. They're getting close, but just not yet.

The Jets, meanwhile, are almost the exact opposite. Except for a few pieces here and there, the team is full of veterans. Look just at the offense. Adding in the years of experience of each projected offensive starter in a base, two-receiver, one-tight end, one-fullback lineup, New York has 85 years of experience. Again, just on offense. 

In the NFL, that makes a difference. And on Sunday, it'll show. 

The Raiders are one of the up-and-coming teams in the league and will show it to the rest of the NFL against the Jets. But the team is still a few years away from being legitimate contenders. It'll be close, and Oakland will give the Jets a run, but in the end, look for New York to pull it out. 

Jets 30, Raiders 20

Connor Hughes is the New York Jets beat writer for the Journal Inquirer and Scout.com. All quotes, practice observations and advanced stats referenced are gathered firsthand unless otherwise noted.

Connor can be reached on Twitter (@Connor_J_Hughes) or via email ([e-mail])