The 6-4 Las Vegas Raiders will travel to Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Week 12 to take on the 3-7 Atlanta Falcons. Both teams are coming off losses in Week 11, as the Raiders lost to the Kansas City Chiefs at home and the Falcons fell to the New Orleans Saints on the road.
The Raiders are in second place in the AFC West standings. They trail the Chiefs, who are 9-1 and well on their way to winning the division. For Las Vegas to make the playoffs in the AFC, the team will have to clinch a Wild Card spot.
The Falcons, meanwhile, are in last place in the NFC South standings and will likely miss the playoffs despite having Matt Ryan and Julio Jones on the roster. While Atlanta is 3-2 under Raheem Morris, it's been difficult for the Falcons to rebound after their 0-5 start under Dan Quinn.
With the Falcons-Raiders game set to start soon, let's take a look at four bold predictions for the contest from a Las Vegas point of view.
1. Derek Carr throws for over 300 yards, tosses three touchdowns
The Falcons have one of the worst pass defenses in the NFL, so we have Raiders star quarterback Derek Carr having a huge day for his fantasy owners in Week 12.
In 10 games this season, Carr has thrown for 2,431 yards and 19 touchdowns while completing 69.7 percent of his passes. The three-time Pro Bowler only has three interceptions.
Against the Falcons in Week 12, we have Carr throwing for over 300 yards and tossing three touchdowns. Atlanta is giving up nearly 300 yards per game through the air, which bodes well for Carr and the Raiders' offense. Las Vegas is averaging 28.6 points per game on the season, good for eighth in the NFL.
Carr has faced the Falcons once in his career. In 2016, the gunslinger torched Atlanta for 299 passing yards and three touchdowns. With that being said, look for Carr to have another magnificent outing this time around.
2. Darren Waller eclipses 100 yards, catches two touchdowns
It's no secret that Carr loves throwing the ball to Darren Waller. The Raiders' tight end is undoubtedly one of the best players in the NFL at his position and could make his first Pro Bowl this season.
In 10 games in 2020, Waller has 60 receptions for 519 yards and five touchdowns. Against the Falcons, we have the 28-year-old racking up over 100 receiving yards and catching two touchdowns from Carr, who has targeted Waller 83 times this season.
The entire NFL family is thrilled to see Waller having success in the league given the adversity he's had to overcome in his life, both on and off the field. It appears the Raiders have their franchise tight end next to their franchise quarterback.
Head coach Jon Gruden picked a great time to come back to the NFL, that's for certain.
3. Raiders pick off Matt Ryan twice
Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan is still one of the best quarterbacks in the league despite being 35-years-old. The former MVP has 15 touchdown passes on the season and 2,978 passing yards.
However, Ryan does have seven interceptions and four in his last three games. With that being said, we have the Raiders' secondary picking off Ryan twice in Week 12 in Atlanta. Las Vegas has eight interceptions on the season, led by Jeff Heath's three.
There's a reason the Raiders are the only defense to pick off Chiefs superstar Patrick Mahomes this season. The best QB in the NFL has two interceptions on the season and they both have come against Las Vegas.
The Raiders may be known for their offense with Carr leading the way, but don't sleep on this defense.
To make the playoffs in the rugged AFC, the Raiders' defense is going to have to make more plays and decrease the number of points they are allowing. Las Vegas is currently allowing 27.6 points a contest.
4. Raiders defeat Falcons to improve to 7-4
Las Vegas will defeat Atlanta in Week 12 and improve to an impressive 7-4 on the season. If it wasn't for Mahomes being a magician at the quarterback position, the Raiders may have defeated the Chiefs in Week 11 on Sunday Night Football and gone 2-0 against KC in 2020.
The Super Bowl MVP threw the game-winning touchdown pass to Travis Kelce with just 28 seconds left in regulation. It was a heartbreaking loss for the Raiders, who played really well against the world champions.
That defeat will motivate Las Vegas to come out hungry against the Falcons and punch them in the mouth.
If the Raiders want to make the playoffs, they have to win games they are favored in. The Falcons aren't a good team, so Las Vegas should take care of business in Week 12.
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