Post by I definitely have a cock~~~ on Oct 30, 2015 9:53:14 GMT -5
Ten things to know about the Oakland Raiders, the New York Jets' upcoming opponent :
1. The Raiders (3-3) and Jets (4-2) have something important in common: They've already matched their win totals from last season, both with new coaches. The Raiders are coming off a 37-29 road win over the San Diego Chargers. Don't read much into the final score; it wasn't that close. The Raiders led at halftime, 30-6, the first time in five years they led by at least 20 points at halftime.
2. If Jets' fans are frustrated by the team's four-year streak without a winning record, imagine the feeling in Raider Nation. Oakland's last winning season was 2002, the year they reached the Super Bowl and got embarrassed by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Since then, the Raiders are 59-139, the worst record in the league. In case you're wondering, the Jets are 93-105 over that span (18th).
3. Yep, optimism is building under Jack Del Rio, their ninth coach (repeat, ninth!) since Jon Gruden left after the 2001 season. Now it's time for the wet-blanket stat: The Raiders' three wins have come against opponents with a combined 5-16 record -- the Chargers, Cleveland Browns and Baltimore Ravens. There's a Jekyll-and-Hyde quality to the team, especially on offense. They're either very good or very bad.
4. The Raiders have one of the most exciting rookies in the league, wide receiver Amari Cooper, the fourth overall pick. Cooper (49 catches, 579 yards, three touchdowns) is everything scouts were saying about him before the draft -- a smooth, polished route runner with an uncanny ability to make plays with the ball in his hands. He already has 295 yards-after-catch, second in the league. One of the quirky aspects to his fast start is that most of his production has occurred in the first half of games -- 22 receptions, 428 yards and three touchdowns. That's a lot of damage for 12 quarters. Cooper is the first rookie since Hall of Famer Mike Ditka (1961) to have three 100-yard receiving days in his team's first six games. He will be tested by cornerback Darrelle Revis, who said of the former Alabama star, "He's a talent." That's an understatement.
5. It's hard to find a franchise quarterback in the second round (ask the Jets), but the Raiders have a good one, Derek Carr, who's sixth in passer rating (101.0). Before Carr, you have to go back to Andy Dalton and Colin Kaepernick (both 2011) to find productive second-round quarterbacks. Only 22 starts into his career, Carr carries himself like a seasoned pro. He makes good decisions, throws a good deep ball (though he doesn't go long that often) and has enough athletic ability to get out of trouble. He snapped out of a two-game slump last week with a career-best 95.2 Total QBR. Carr won't be a pushover for the Jets, who still could experiencing Brady fatigue.
6. Remember Austin Howard? He was the solid starter for the Jets in 2012 and 2013, but he took a big free-agent deal to sign with the Raiders. He has settled in at right tackle after playing guard last season, but he has experienced a few hiccups with regard to penalties. He's tied for the league lead among tackles with eight penalties (plus two declined), according to Pro Football Focus.
7. Speaking of familiar faces, former New York Giants Super Bowl champion Justin Tuck (torn pectoral muscle) is out for the season. Tuck, 32, could be finished with the Raiders. He signed a two-year deal in 2014 and will be a free agent after the season.
8. Defensively, the Raiders are good news/bad news. They're No. 3 against the run (84 yards per game), but No. 32 against the pass (388). Every quarterback they've faced has thrown for at least 266 yards. A closer look at the metrics reveals the Raiders aren't as bad as the numbers indicate. In fact, they have at least two takeaways in five straight games, their longest such streak in 15 years.
9. The Raiders are 29th in penalties. In other news, the New York Mets' starting pitchers throw hard.
10. Lastly, how 'bout a shout-out for Charles Woodson? The ageless wonder, 39, still is playing at a high level in his 19th season. The cagey free safety is tied for the league lead with four interceptions, bringing his career total to 64. Consider: He broke into the NFL in 1998, when Vinny Testaverde was leading the Jets to the AFC Championship Game. Woodson was a freshman at Michigan when Leonard Williams was born. That's crazy.
> espn.go.com/blog/newyork-jets/post/_/id/55447/jets-will-face-improved-raiders-led-by-rookie-star-amari-cooper
1. The Raiders (3-3) and Jets (4-2) have something important in common: They've already matched their win totals from last season, both with new coaches. The Raiders are coming off a 37-29 road win over the San Diego Chargers. Don't read much into the final score; it wasn't that close. The Raiders led at halftime, 30-6, the first time in five years they led by at least 20 points at halftime.
2. If Jets' fans are frustrated by the team's four-year streak without a winning record, imagine the feeling in Raider Nation. Oakland's last winning season was 2002, the year they reached the Super Bowl and got embarrassed by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Since then, the Raiders are 59-139, the worst record in the league. In case you're wondering, the Jets are 93-105 over that span (18th).
3. Yep, optimism is building under Jack Del Rio, their ninth coach (repeat, ninth!) since Jon Gruden left after the 2001 season. Now it's time for the wet-blanket stat: The Raiders' three wins have come against opponents with a combined 5-16 record -- the Chargers, Cleveland Browns and Baltimore Ravens. There's a Jekyll-and-Hyde quality to the team, especially on offense. They're either very good or very bad.
4. The Raiders have one of the most exciting rookies in the league, wide receiver Amari Cooper, the fourth overall pick. Cooper (49 catches, 579 yards, three touchdowns) is everything scouts were saying about him before the draft -- a smooth, polished route runner with an uncanny ability to make plays with the ball in his hands. He already has 295 yards-after-catch, second in the league. One of the quirky aspects to his fast start is that most of his production has occurred in the first half of games -- 22 receptions, 428 yards and three touchdowns. That's a lot of damage for 12 quarters. Cooper is the first rookie since Hall of Famer Mike Ditka (1961) to have three 100-yard receiving days in his team's first six games. He will be tested by cornerback Darrelle Revis, who said of the former Alabama star, "He's a talent." That's an understatement.
5. It's hard to find a franchise quarterback in the second round (ask the Jets), but the Raiders have a good one, Derek Carr, who's sixth in passer rating (101.0). Before Carr, you have to go back to Andy Dalton and Colin Kaepernick (both 2011) to find productive second-round quarterbacks. Only 22 starts into his career, Carr carries himself like a seasoned pro. He makes good decisions, throws a good deep ball (though he doesn't go long that often) and has enough athletic ability to get out of trouble. He snapped out of a two-game slump last week with a career-best 95.2 Total QBR. Carr won't be a pushover for the Jets, who still could experiencing Brady fatigue.
6. Remember Austin Howard? He was the solid starter for the Jets in 2012 and 2013, but he took a big free-agent deal to sign with the Raiders. He has settled in at right tackle after playing guard last season, but he has experienced a few hiccups with regard to penalties. He's tied for the league lead among tackles with eight penalties (plus two declined), according to Pro Football Focus.
7. Speaking of familiar faces, former New York Giants Super Bowl champion Justin Tuck (torn pectoral muscle) is out for the season. Tuck, 32, could be finished with the Raiders. He signed a two-year deal in 2014 and will be a free agent after the season.
8. Defensively, the Raiders are good news/bad news. They're No. 3 against the run (84 yards per game), but No. 32 against the pass (388). Every quarterback they've faced has thrown for at least 266 yards. A closer look at the metrics reveals the Raiders aren't as bad as the numbers indicate. In fact, they have at least two takeaways in five straight games, their longest such streak in 15 years.
9. The Raiders are 29th in penalties. In other news, the New York Mets' starting pitchers throw hard.
10. Lastly, how 'bout a shout-out for Charles Woodson? The ageless wonder, 39, still is playing at a high level in his 19th season. The cagey free safety is tied for the league lead with four interceptions, bringing his career total to 64. Consider: He broke into the NFL in 1998, when Vinny Testaverde was leading the Jets to the AFC Championship Game. Woodson was a freshman at Michigan when Leonard Williams was born. That's crazy.
> espn.go.com/blog/newyork-jets/post/_/id/55447/jets-will-face-improved-raiders-led-by-rookie-star-amari-cooper
