The Raiders and Jets both walk into Sunday afternoon in the same place: trying to stop the slide.
Las Vegas had a 3-0 start to the season, but that momentum has vanished over the last month. The Raiders have dropped four straight, and the latest setback was a 35-21 loss to the Rams last week.
New York hasn’t fared much better. The Jets suffered an upset loss to the Dolphins on Sunday and have now only beaten the Titans and Browns this season.
This matchup also brings a familiar result from the last time these teams met. The Raiders edged the Jets 16-12 in 2023.
At quarterback, Kirk Cousins remains the starter for Las Vegas, at least for now. Fernando Mendoza is expected to start later on, but not this week.
Cousins has outperformed expectations for the Raiders, especially with the team often forced into pass-heavy game scripts. Through seven games, he has thrown for 1,877 yards, 16 touchdowns and five interceptions.
That yardage total ranks third in the league, and his 16 touchdown passes lead the NFL.
The Raiders’ road results have been a mixed bag. They opened with wins in their first two road games, taking a 26-14 decision over the Chargers and a 35-27 win in New Orleans, before a one-sided loss in New England. Their recent skid also comes against a tougher stretch of competition, with four playoff teams on the schedule over the last four weeks.
The same cushion doesn’t really exist for the Jets after losing as 4.5-point favorites to the Dolphins. That result has done little to change how the matchup looks from a betting standpoint.
I just simply haven’t been impressed with the Jets at all this season. Maybe they can get Breece Hall back to give them another offensive weapon, but I still think the Raiders are the bet this week.
In Other News...
Raiders Receiver Battle Just Got More Complicated At The Worst Time
The Raiders receiver picture is suddenly getting a little tighter at a time when they could have used some clean answers. Jack Bech, who went down with a forearm injury in Week 3, has been designated to return from injured reserve, opening the door for him to get back on the field after missing several games and resume practicing with the team.
Jack Bechs return window adds another layer to a position group already waiting on Donte Thornton, who has been working back into the mix but still has not been activated. For Las Vegas, the timing matters because the roster math is getting more complicated by the day, and the next move on Thornton will say a lot about how the Raiders are planning to sort out the back end of their receiving depth. [Read more 🡒]
Raiders Suddenly Have An AFC West Problem They Can't Ignore
After a 3-0 start, the Raiders have spent the better part of a month watching their season tilt in the wrong direction, and the AFC West has quickly turned from a strength into a problem. Las Vegas has now dropped four straight to fall to 3-4, while Kansas City sits at 5-1 despite its recent loss and Denver has surged to 5-2 with three wins in a row. Even the Chargers 0-6 start does little to ease the pressure, because the division picture is no longer about whether the Raiders can keep pace, but whether they can stop the slide before it becomes defining.
The timing makes the situation even harder to ignore, with the schedule offering no obvious relief and the rivals around them continuing to bank wins. The Raiders have to find a way to steady themselves quickly, especially with a road trip to the Jets coming next while Denver and Kansas City are set to meet. In a division this tight at the top, the gap can grow fast, and Las Vegas no longer has the luxury of treating this as a short skid. [Read more 🡒]
Raiders Face Growing Trade Deadline Pressure They May Already Regret
The trade deadline is creeping closer, and the Raiders are giving no indication they plan to chase a splashy fix for their uneven offensive line. Guard play has been one of the clearer pain points, which is why the decision to sit out the market has already drawn scrutiny. Around the league, some analysts have pointed to the move for Quenton Nelson as the kind of deal Las Vegas might have explored more aggressively, especially with the team still trying to stabilize itself.
Instead, the bigger picture in Las Vegas feels like it is drifting toward bigger questions than a single roster upgrade. Trade chatter has started to swirl around names tied to the franchises future, including Maxx Crosby, while Kirk Cousins has also surfaced in rumors as the deadline nears. For a team that could use clarity as much as help, the next few days may say as much about direction as they do about personnel. [Read more 🡒]