The Raiders head into Sunday’s Week 8 trip to face the Jets with a lot more on the line than just another game in the schedule. Las Vegas has dropped four straight, and this one stands out as the most manageable of the four road tests the team will face over the next five weeks.
That doesn’t make it simple. It just makes it the kind of matchup the Raiders can’t afford to waste.
Klint Kubiak’s team is still searching for answers after a rough stretch, and the margin for error has been shrinking fast. The Raiders have work to do before they even get on the field in New York, and Kubiak said the emphasis this week is on cleaning up the details and showing the right response.
“That’s the NFL. Every week you have to respond, and you’ve got to do it 17 weeks in a row.
You can’t sit in those chairs in those team meeting rooms if you’re not an accountable human. If you’re just a talented guy who doesn’t have accountability, you don’t last very long.
Those are the guys we’re looking for as we build our program,” Kubiak said earlier this week.
The Jets’ 2-5 record doesn’t tell the full story. They pushed the Green Bay Packers to overtime on the road before losing by three points, and they also gave the New England Patriots a tougher fight than Las Vegas did in its own meeting with New England. Kubiak made it clear he sees a team that can cause problems.
“I see an extremely physical team. I see a very talented team.
They have our full attention. They’re very well-coached.
And no matter who we’re playing each week, on these days, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, we’d better make sure we’re focusing on ourselves and getting ourselves better," Kubiak said.
Sunday’s game will also come with a specific look. The Raiders will wear white jerseys, silver pants, and silver helmets. John Hussey’s officiating crew will work the game, with Megan Olivi on the sideline, Chris Meyers handling play-by-play, and Jonathan Vilma as the analyst.
For Las Vegas, the bigger issue is what happens on the field. The Raiders have been inconsistent, and the week’s outcome could say plenty about where this team really stands after a productive offseason of roster changes.
A win would help steady things. A loss would force even harder questions about where the front office and coaching staff go next.
Kirk Cousins said earlier this week that the little things have been costing the Raiders and that the offense has to be sharper in key moments.
“We can be better in the red zone. We can be better on third down.
When plays are there to be made, you’ve got to make them. It’s a fine line between winning a game and losing a game.
It can be one play. It can be one throw.
You can say, ‘I’m playing great, having good production, things are going well,’ but if you miss one throw and you lost the game, you missed one throw, and you lost the game," Cousins said.
“You play with that tension and you prepare with that tension. I think that's where you say absolutely you can be doing better, because not playing perfect, and the only time you get away with not playing perfect is if you’re winning.
Other than that, you either need to be playing perfect or you need to be winning. So, there’s plenty of room for improvement.”
Sunday will show whether the Raiders can finally put those corrections together, or whether another winnable game slips away.
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Raiders Face Key Week 8 Questions After Costly Roster Shuffle
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There has also been movement on the roster and around the organization. Las Vegas waived Jonah Laulu and added Bralen Trice to the practice squad, while A.J. Cole was named the teams NFLPA voting representative. Even the broadcast setup is changing, with FOX Sports altering its crew for the game, a small reminder that this week has a little extra churn around a Raiders team still trying to settle its pieces. [Read more 🡒]