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The 3-3 Las Vegas Raiders will take on the 5-2 Cleveland Browns at FirstEnergy Stadium in Week 8.
The Raiders are looking to get back in the win column after losing to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at home in Week 7 by a final score of 45-20.
The Browns, meanwhile, will look to win their second game in a row. Baker Mayfield and Co. defeated the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 7 despite losing superstar wideout Odell Beckham Jr. on the first play of the game to an ACL tear.
All eyes in the Raiders-Browns contest will be on Derek Carr and Mayfield. The quarterback who has the better game and doesn't turn the ball over will likely come out victorious.
With the Raiders-Browns game almost here, let's take a look at four bold predictions from a Las Vegas point of view.
1. Derek Carr throws for three touchdowns
The Browns have one of the worst pass defenses in the NFL. Look for Carr to have his way against Cleveland and throw for three touchdowns and a ton of yards.
Thus far on the season, Carr has thrown for 1,726 yards and 13 touchdowns while completing 72.0 percent of his passes. He only has two interceptions as well.
The only player the Raiders really have to be mindful of on Cleveland's defense is Myles Garrett, who has been a monster for the Browns. The Raiders have to make sure they give Carr ample time to throw the ball. Sending some double-teams Garrett's way and chipping him with running backs and tight ends is a good way for Jon Gruden to ensure his QB stays upright.
In three career games against the Browns, Carr has thrown for seven touchdowns and 1,079 yards. He's 2-1 and has only turned the ball over two times through the air. We can see Carr having a field day against the Browns' putrid secondary in Week 8.
2. Darren Waller catches two touchdowns
Raiders tight end Darren Waller is the best receiving target for Carr. He's caught 40 balls on the season for 345 yards and three touchdowns.
Against the Browns, look for Waller to catch at least two touchdown passes versus a weak secondary. He’s turning into a matchup nightmare all across the field, as Waller has really good size, speed and ball skills for a tight end.
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Carr has targeted Waller the most out of any player on the Raiders. They have good chemistry and Waller is a weapon for the Raiders, particularly in the red zone where he uses his 6-foot-6 frame to catch tough passes for touchdowns.
3. Raiders pick off Baker Mayfield twice
Mayfield has 42 interceptions in his short NFL career. The Raiders need to take advantage of Mayfield's bad footwork and errant throws by picking him off twice.
Since the Browns are without OBJ for the rest of the season, Mayfield is going to target Jarvis Landry a lot more. However, as he showed in Week 7 against the Bengals, Mayfield is at his best when he's spreading the ball around and making quick decisions.
The Raiders should be able to make things difficult for Mayfield in Week 8. They may give up some touchdowns to the former No. 1 overall pick and a few big plays, but overall, we can see Las Vegas making life miserable for Mayfield and the Browns' offense sans Beckham Jr.
4. Raiders defeat Browns to improve to 4-3
Las Vegas took a bad step back in Week 7 by getting blown out by the Bucs. The Raiders had their fanbase excited after Carr and Co. defeated Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 5 on the road, only to come back down to earth versus Tom Brady.
Mayfield is an average quarterback, though, and the Browns only have one guy on defense who should scare Carr in Garrett. With that being said, the Raiders should win this game in Cleveland to improve to 4-3 on the season and get some positive momentum going again. Las Vegas has a better quarterback and a more explosive offense. Both defenses are pretty subpar, though the Browns are really good at stopping the run thanks to Garrett.
Since Mayfield is prone to turning the ball over, the Raiders' defense should be able to set up their offense with good field position, making it easier on Carr to run the offense and score touchdowns instead of settling for field goals.
The Raiders enter Week 8 in second place in the AFC West standings. All signs point toward the Chiefs winning the division again. However, if Las Vegas wants to make the playoffs this season as a wild card team, they have to beat teams like the Browns.
