Don’t look now, but the Jets have a chance to make it three wins in a row when the Oakland Raiders come to town on Sunday afternoon.
Oakland has been one of the AFC’s resurgent teams so far this season, sitting at 6-4 and positioned well to challenge for a Wild Card spot. However, the Raiders have not been good away from home in 2019, giving New York a legitimate chance to climb to 4-7 after a disastrous start to the season.
What should Jets fans be keeping an eye on before kickoff? Let’s take a look at some intriguing pregame storylines.
Possible Presidential History
The man who calls himself the President will have a chance to make history when he takes the field against the Raiders on Sunday.
Jamal Adams is only two sacks away from tying Adrian Wilson’s NFL record for sacks in a single season by a defensive back (eight). Three sacks against Oakland would give him sole possession of the record.
Adams has been on fire lately, but given how solid the Raiders’ offensive line has been in 2019, it’s hard to see Week 12 being the week Adams makes history. Either way, he’s getting close to etching his name into the NFL record books only three years into his career.
Arthur and Bless will be put to the test
Arthur Maulet and Bless Austin have emerged a solid cornerback duo for the Jets over the past two weeks, but they were not tasked with going up against above-average competition during that span.
That’s going to change when the Raiders take the field.
Not only has Derrick Carr gone through somewhat of a career-renaissance in his second season playing for Jon Gruden, but Oakland has an underrated group of pass-catchers featuring star tight end Darren Waller, shifty slot receiver Hunter Renfrow and big-bodied Tyrell Williams on the outside. Carr also plays behind one of the better offensive lines in the NFL, which affords him ample time to scan the defense and forces opposing cornerbacks to take a crack at covering for an extended period of time.
Week 12 will say a lot about who Austin and Maulet really are. If all goes well, the Jets might actually have two cornerbacks trending in the right direction for once.
Wet Weather Pending
The Jets and Raiders are in for a wet one in Week 12.
The forecast in East Rutherford is calling for rain, rain and, you guessed it, more rain throughout the course of the afternoon on Sunday. If the forecast holds true, both teams will have to turn to their rushing attacks early and often in order to move the ball downfield.
Fortunately for New York and Oakland, both teams have a solid stable of running backs that can handle a heavy workload.
Will running back by committee continue?
With Le’Veon Bell banged up and laboring through his first season with the Jets, Adam Gase turned to a running back by committee in New York’s 34-17 win over the Washington Redskins in Week 11.
Will that continue against the Raiders?
Bell is still the Jets’ bell-cow back. That doesn’t change just because of his low usage rate last week. Gase’s job is to manage all of his players and put them in the best position to succeed. Bell has been worn down lately and it makes no sense to run him into the ground with two capable backs in Ty Montgomery and Bilal Powell lingering on the sideline — especially in what could a run-heavy game due to the pending wet weather.
If Gase feels that continuing a committee approach out of the backfield is the best thing for Bell and the Jets in Week 12, he will likely continue to employ it. It worked last week, so it’s not like it’s a practice that has failed miserably.
