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A Las Vegas Raiders Week 10 matchup against the New York Jets presents the Raiders with the opportunity to down two New York teams in as many weeks. And while the Jets should present a more stout challenge than the Giants did, the Raiders have undergone a rather major change, if you didn't catch the news.
Interim coach Antonio Pierce is 1-0 leading the Raiders, and he has clearly rejuvenated the Silver and Black. We often see teams rattle off wins under a new coach following a mid-season firing. New voice in the locker room, old problems swept away, happier players. It could be any number of factors, but the effect is real, so the Raiders have that going for them. Which is nice.
The Jets, meanwhile, are living through an ugly “same old” after last week's Monday Night Football embarrassment against the Los Angeles Chargers. A dominant defense watching its season slip away because of an offense that can barely function at an NFL level. Talk about the potential for a mutiny…
So different, and yet, so alike, as the Raiders enter this matchup with a 4-5 record, while the Jets sit at 4-4. To make sense of it all, let's fire off some Raiders Week 10 predictions and gain some clarity.
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Aidan experiences turbulence
In two NFL starts, Raiders QB Aidan O'Connell has thrown for more than 200 yards twice. Pretty good ratio! But it also feels like one in danger.
The Jets have faced a gauntlet of quarterbacks up to this point. Most of them have struggled, even in wins. In Week 9, the Chargers' Justin Herbert threw for just 136 yards in a win. The Kansas City Chiefs' Patrick Mahomes got to 203 yards in a win that felt more like an escape.
Meanwhile, Jalen Hurts and the Philadelphia Eagles, Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills, Russell Wilson and the Denver Broncos…they all fell short against Robert Saleh's squad.
O'Connell has been steady for the Raiders, but asking him to lead this team against Gang Green's upper echelon defense is probably too much.
Maxx gets his sacks (again)
DE Maxx Crosby helped make Pierce's coaching debut a success by tearing apart New York's offensive line. This week, it's the Jets, not the Giants, but the result might just about be the same.
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Crosby racked up three sacks facing a makeshift Giants offensive line. Sound familiar? The Jets have been fielding a new group of protectors for QB Zach Wilson each week, mostly due to injuries. But the effects have been about what one would expect.
Wilson has been sacked multiple times in every game he's played this season. Last week, he took a whopping eight sacks. He's been sacked 21 times over the last four games.
You can practically hear Crosby licking his chops at this week's opportunity.
Sauce, Jets smother Davante, Raiders
WR Davante Adams has topped 100 yards receiving once this season. In his last five games, he's hit the 50-yard mark a grand total of once.
While it's easy to believe that the Raiders' star players will all be rejuvenated under coach Pierce, this wouldn't be the week to bank on Adams breaking out from the post-McDaniels haze.
Robert Saleh's team employs a bend-but-don't-break philosophy. They'll mostly play zone coverage and limit big plays. Star CB Sauce Gardner doesn't travel with other teams' top receivers, so the Raiders can move Adams around to free up looks for him.
It's just not likely going to result in a ton of yardage. Adams will probably top the four receptions he had last week, but as long as those completions happen in front of the Jets' swarming defense, they'll live with it.
Adams will truly breakout when he hits the century mark and returns to the end zone against an opponent. That will not be the case in Week 10 against the Jets.
