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The Las Vegas Raiders have a huge task in front of them as they prepare for their Week 14 game against the Minnesota Vikings. While they would appear to have a huge mountain to climb if they are going to make the AFC playoffs, they have not been eliminated from contention at this point.
That may be just a matter of time, because they bring a 5-7 record into their home game against their NFC North opponent. Not only are they 3 games behind the current Wild Card teams in the conference — the Browns, Colts and Texans — they would have to climb over 5 other teams if they are going to earn a spot in the postseason.
Realistically speaking, the chances seem fairly remote. However, the Raiders don't have to play all 5 of their remaining games at once. They only have to play them one at a time, and it begins against the Vikings. After that, the Raiders will host the Chargers, travel to Kansas City and then Indianapolis before closing the season at home against the Broncos.
Minnesota presents a number of problems for the Las Vegas defense. Not only are the Vikings rested because they are coming off their bye week, they will also feature superb wide receiver Justin Jefferson, who makes his return from a hamstring injury.
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If the Raiders allow Jefferson to run free in the secondary, he could have a huge game in his return. However, if they can slow down the Minnesota passing game, the Raiders could get their 6th win of the season.
Aidan O'Connell must be steady and throw at least 2 TD passes
The Raiders made major changes earlier in the season when they fired head coach Josh McDaniels and replaced him with Antonio Pierce. The new coach's first big move was to bench quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo and replace him with rookie Aidan O'Connell.
As soon as the big changes were made, the Raiders responded by playing sharper and more alert football. The defeated the New York Giants and New York Jets in consecutive weeks, and while neither of those opponents are high-quality teams, the Raiders were much more committed and determined than they had been under McDaniels.
However, the Raiders were not able to continue their momentum as they followed those games with losses to the Dolphins and Chiefs. Both of those teams are division leaders, and on the positive side, the Raiders remained in touch and had a chance to win both games.
Like the Vikings, the Raiders are coming off their bye week. One of the things the Raiders would like to see is some improvement from O'Connell. He has completed 113 of 178 passes for 1,194 yards to this point in the season. While those numbers are decent, his 4 to 6 touchdown to interception ratio is disappointing.
The Vikings have improved quite a bit from a defensive perspective this season — they ranked 31st in yards allowed last year and are 10th this season — they can still be beaten. If the Raiders offensive line can keep Vikings pass rusher Danielle Hunter (13.5 sacks) from harassing O'Connell, the quarterback could deliver some big plays.
Davante Adams needs a breakout game with 100-plus receiving yards
Adams is very familiar with the Vikings because he played with the Packers for the first 8 years of his career and saw the Vikings twice every year. While the Minnesota scheme has changed quite a bit since he wore a Green Bay uniform, he certainly knows Hunter and Vikings safety Harrison Smith.
The presence of Jefferson on the other sideline should inspire Adams to have an outstanding game. While Adams is 31 years old, he still has eye-catching speed, sensational hands and the ability to get open. He wants to show he is still a game-breaking receiver and is not going to concede anything to Jefferson.
Adams has been targeted 118 times this season and he has caught 69 passes for 814 yards and 4 touchdowns. It seems clear that he would have significantly higher receiving totals if the Raiders quarterbacks had been able to deliver the ball more accurately at this point.
Raiders need big game from Maxx Crosby
Crosby is the best player on the Raiders defense, but he is not 100 percent as he is battling a knee injury. While he did not practice early in the week, he did return to practice Friday in a limited fashion.
Crosby has 11.5 sacks, 66 tackles and 1 forced fumble. The Raiders will need to see him put pressure on elusive Vikings quarterback Josh Dobbs if they are going to slow down the Minnesota passing attack.
