Week 10 was an incredible boost for the Raiders with teams in front of them in playoff position having massive upsets. The losses of the Indianapolis Colts and the Kansas City Chiefs set up the Raiders correctly with an easy schedule coming up down the stretch.
The easy part starts this week with a matchup against the winless Cincinnati Bengals, who are coming of an embarrassing loss to the Baltimore Ravens. The Bengals are the worst team in football and are torpedoing for the first pick overall in the 2020 draft. At this point, they are abysmal on both sides of the football.
The scenario creates a trap game for the Raiders, especially with the Pittsburgh Steelers losing to the Cleveland Browns on Thursday night. The Raiders need to handle business and solidify themselves as a playoff contender and not fall back into old habits. It is a crucial game for the Raiders, no matter the opponent.
What are the keys to securing a win against the Bengals Sunday afternoon in Oakland? Let’s look at the three keys to victory for the Raiders in Week 11:
1. Heavy dose of RB Josh Jacobs
Josh Jacobs has proven he is worth as a first-round pick with his stellar play so far this season. Jacobs leads all rookies in rushing yards and touchdowns and is number one graded running back according to Pro Football Focus. On Sunday, expect Jacobs to dominate against one the worst run defenses in the NFL.
The Bengals are last in the NFL in rushing yards per game allowed with a whopping 173 yards allowed per game. They have been dominated up front all year with a front seven full of injuries giving up huge plays in the run game. Last week the Ravens only passed the ball 17 times and won 49-13 using the run game to dominate and overwhelmed the Bengals defense.
The Raiders gameplan should be no different using Jacobs to keep drives alive and force the Bengals to become one dimensional on offense. Expect Jon Gruden to call plenty of run plays early to set the tone for the offense and to roll over the Bengals with the Raiders mismatch in the trenches.
2. Force QB Ryan Finley to win the game
The Raiders will be facing another backup quarterback this season with Ryan Finley making his first appearance at the black hole. The Bengals will want to play ball control football and will attempt to keep Finley out of tight situations and third and long passing downs. The Raiders will have to slow down Joe Mixon and force Finley to be the man to lead the Bengals to a victory.
Finley didn’t play well last week, especially when he was asked to throw the ball more than 10 air yards. His pocket presence was not much to be desired, with the fourth-round pick holding the ball too long and accumulating sacks in the process. Finley finished the day with a total QBR of 17.0 and a wretched EPA of -20.9, according to Sports Info Solutions. Finley’s limitations that made him a day three pick in the 2019 NFL draft were on full display.
If the Raiders can slow down Joe Mixon, it will be a long game for the Bengals offense. Expect the Raiders to send blitzes with zone coverage behind it to help confuse the quarterback and force him to hold the ball a little longer than he wants. The Raiders pass rush should have a field day Sunday.
3. Show up
The real key to victory for the Raiders is for them to not take the day off and let an awful Bengals team have life early in the game. They are obviously the better team in this matchup on both sides of the ball, and the only way they can lose this game is if they beat themselves.
Every 1-7 NFL team won in Week 10 with the Atlanta Falcons surprising the New Orleans Saints on the road. The Raiders do not want to duplicate this outcome and have to treat the Bengals like they are a playoff opponent and not come into the game overconfident, expecting to win. It will be hard for the Raiders to recover if they mess around and let this one slip away.
The Raiders have performed well against mediocre teams this year but don’t have an impressive win by more than a one-score margin. For the Raiders to prove, they are a playoff team, they have to treat the Bengals like the Ravens did the week before. Pedal to the metal for the Raiders and lay it all out with a decisive win against a weak opponent.
