It’s been an incredible season for the Raiders thus far, and there’s been plenty for the team to rally around. The campaign started with two division games, followed by a five-game road trip and a three-game homestand.
The Raiders’ current task, a trip to New York to face the 3-7 Jets, is downright mundane in comparison.
Nevertheless, the Raiders must resurrect their road mentality and hand their old AFL foe yet another loss if they’re to improve their own record to 7-4. Here are the players to watch as Oakland attempts to keep the playoffs within reach.
LB Tahir Whitehead
Speaking of un-alluring, the first selection on this list may fit that category. But not so fast. Linebacker Tahir Whitehead deserves some recognition for holding the Raiders defense together after the suspension of starting middle linebacker Vontaze Burfict.
He never leaves the field, routinely playing every defensive snap, and he’s rewarded the Raiders by leading the team in tackles. Whitehead’s had trouble when isolated on pass defense, but the guy plays hard each play, with an intensity that’s alone worth watching.
For example, his emotion manifested in the form of a karate chop against his old team, the Lions, just a few weeks ago.
This column isn’t predicting another kung fu strike of any sort. Still, watch Whitehead as he leads the defense against a Jets offense that has shown improvement lately, despite some awful stats.
S D.J. Swearinger
When the Raiders lost safety Karl Joseph to injury, they were lucky to find a guy like Swearinger. The veteran free agent got off to a running start last week against the Bengals, totaling seven tackles (five solo) while playing 60 percent of the team’s defensive snaps.
Watch to see if he can build on his impressive debut and produce a big play, which could be sorely needed on the road. A seven-year pro, Swearinger has 14 career interceptions and nine forced fumbles.
CB Trayvon Mullen
The Raiders traded cornerback Gareon Conley, a former first-round pick, to get a look at rookie CB Trayvon Mullen.
They must like what they see. Mullen, a second-round pick, earned the highest Pro Football Focus grade among his teammates last Sunday against the Bengals, highlighted by the top coverage grade in the entire NFL for cornerbacks playing more than 50 percent of his team’s snaps.
Mullen, Swearinger, Whitehead, and the rest of the defense will face a Jets team that’s last in total yards per game. New York is 2-1 in its last three games, however, and second-year quarterback Sam Darnold threw four touchdown passes a week ago against the Redskins. They’ll certainly need help up front, and they have the reigning AFC Defensive Player of the Week to lean on for support.
DE Maxx Crosby
Crosby has the attention of the entire NFL after his four-sack performance last Sunday, earning AFC Defensive Player of the Week honors. Jets quarterbacks have been sacked 41 times this season, so Crosby has a favorable chance of continuing his recent habit of living in the opponent’s backfield.
In a season full of surprises, Crosby’s performance since becoming an every-down player could be the campaign’s most unexpected development. Watch to see if the fourth-round pick out of Eastern Michigan, who was supposed to be a project player, can continue to help the Raiders win now.
Every player on the list thus far is a defender, and that’s by design. While the Raiders offense has been steady for more than a month, the defense keyed the club’s last two wins, and made a game-saving play in the win before that, against the Lions. The group must prove it can play well on the road, however, and keep the Jets below 20 points, paving the way for another victory.
Of course, scoring 20 points on the road isn’t an easy task, either. But one Raider, the next player on this week’s list, has a milestone in view and will give his all to get there, improving Oakland’s chances of outscoring its opponent.
RB Josh Jacobs
That’s not to say Jacobs doesn’t always run hard. He does. And he’s always worth watching.
But this week could be special for Jacobs and the Raiders. The first-round pick out of Alabama is sitting on 923 rushing yards, already a rookie record for the franchise, so he has a great shot of crossing the 1,000-yard mark in just his 11th game of the season.
Watch to see if Jacobs can hit that impressive milestone. He doesn’t have to succeed, however. Oakland is facing a stout run defense, and coach Jon Gruden could use him in the passing game more often this week.
Still, given Jacobs’ season thus far, he’ll be very close to hitting 1,000 yards regardless of the situation. It’s yet another reason to watch this incredibly talented runner.
The Raiders’ task this week isn’t full of intrigue. It’s a business trip if there ever was one. Luckily, or by design, Oakland’s grind-it-out, physical mentality, instilled by Gruden, should travel well. It’s the defense; however, that’s key.
But neither unit lacks motivation, they may just have to dig a beat deeper to find it. If the Raiders stay mentally strong and get past this mundane challenge, they’ll face the rival Kansas City Chiefs the following week, with each club carrying a 7-4 record. And how’s that for excitement?
