The Raiders come home to Allegiant for Week 6 carrying a two-game losing streak and a matchup that looks every bit as daunting as it sounds. Buffalo is next, and for Las Vegas, this is the kind of test that can expose every crack in a roster that has already shown plenty of them over the past two weeks.
That’s the reality facing a team that has not looked equipped to handle elite competition lately. The Bills may be the best opponent the Raiders have seen this season, and the schedule does them no favors from here.
Las Vegas has one of the toughest slates in the league, so there’s no luxury of easing into a soft stretch. The Raiders have to start solving problems fast.
The biggest one is on offense. The unit has not found any real rhythm, and offensive coordinator Andrew Janocko laid out the approach the team is leaning on to clean things up.
"Everything we do, we're trying to detail up as we grow in the system, as we grow together as an offense. The individual techniques is something that we emphasize and focus every day, whether it be up front, whether it be with our backs,” Janocko said earlier this week.
“We look at trying to generate more production within the scheme as we look at that, but we take a look at every single aspect, whether it be with the players and their techniques with our scheme, and just trying to grow with every facet of our offense, not just the run game, but we're trying to grow as a full offense.”
“We have our calls and we have the different ways that we want to attack different defenses. Every defense gives a unique approach, and we have to have a solution for the different things that they present to us.
So, whether it's loading the box, light box, different stuff, we really try to give the players the best answer. But it really comes down to us putting the players in their best situations and the guys executing their techniques and playing fast."
That challenge gets even steeper against Buffalo’s defense, especially with the Raiders still searching for a ground game. Ashton Jeanty is not close to full health, and that has only made things harder for an offense already struggling to run or throw the ball consistently. Even beyond the injury concerns, the receiver group has not done nearly enough to lift the unit.
If that group is still limited on Sunday, the pressure on the offense will be immediate. Even at full strength, Las Vegas’ wideouts have not offered much to work with, and the overall production has been shaky all season. Against a Bills defense that can close quickly, there may not be much margin for error.
On the other side of the ball, the assignment looks just as harsh. Josh Allen brings a long list of problems with him, and the Raiders’ young back end is set to be tested in a big way. So is the defensive front, with Allen and running back James Cook both capable of stressing a defense in different ways.
“He's a really good player and somebody you got to account for. But it's not something you don't have to deal with in other weeks of the season, but yes, definitely have to be aware of him as a rusher. He's really good at extended plays, whether he scrambles to run, or scrambles to throw," Leonard said earlier this week.
The recent tape doesn’t offer much encouragement. Against opponents on a similar level to Buffalo, the Raiders have been clearly outclassed, and they’ve been beaten in both phases. Their defense has given up chunk gains through the air and on the ground, which lines up with the inexperience in the secondary and the issues up front.
That’s why the ask here feels so steep. Something has to change if Las Vegas is going to knock off one of the league’s better teams, but right now the bigger issue is simple: this roster has not consistently shown it can line up with the best of the best.
Still, Kubiak had a positive read on the week leading into Sunday.
“I've been impressed. That's who they are.
They're a very mature group. They want to win, and they know that it takes great practices to win.
So, I have been impressed with their response, and whatever Don Shula says is okay with me,” Kubiak said.
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