Two teams on slightly different trajectories meet up in a late game Sunday afternoon when the New York Jets (0-1) face off against the Oakland Raiders (1-0). The Raiders are primed for a deep playoff run and a possible Super Bowl appearance. The Jets are primed to land the No. 1 overall draft pick in 2018 and a possible winless season.
I know this is showing up late with about an hour before gametime, but you can thank mother nature for a tree that not only knocked the internet down in my neck of the woods, but the power for hours.
The Game: New York Jets at Oakland Raiders (-13.5)
The History
The Raiders lead the all-time series 24-19-2. These are two original AFL teams so their rivalry goes all the way back to the beginning of that upstart league back in 1960 when the Jets were the New York Titans. The Titans/Jets lost that first game 28-27, but won the next six in a row from December, 1960 to September, 1963.
The two teams have met four times in the playoffs, with the most recent being a 30-10 Raiders win in 2003. They have an even 2-2 mark in the postseason against each other.
The longest Raiders win streak was five games from September, 1985 to October, 1996.
NEW YORK JETS (0-1)
Of all the things that may have surprised us about Week One, the Jets losing wasn’t one of them. Frankly, I wasn’t even shocked that the game was competitive as the Buffalo Bills suck ass too. Unless something has changed in the last two hours I’ve been off the grid, and it could have, Josh McCown is still the starter in New York. Last week McCown went 26-of-39 (???) for 187 yards and two interceptions. That means he had to average 7.1 yards per completion.
I was kind of high on Bilal Powell’s chances to put up some numbers this season out of the backfield, but it sure as hell didn’t happen last week. New York’s defense managed all of two sacks and none of them came from the defensive front. Linebacker Darron Lee notched one with Josh Martin and Demario Davis teaming up for the other one.
The Jets do have some OK talent at wideout if McCown will actually try to work the ball down the field. Whatever New York does, it’s probably not going to be enough.
OAKLAND RAIDERS (1-0)
The Raiders get to unleash Beast Mode Marshawn Lynch at home for the first time when the games count and I got a feeling, after he was so good on 18 carries last week, he may see a little more time on the field against a hapless (my favorite sports word) Jets team.
Frankly, if you play daily fantasy there’s plenty of guys that could be due for a big game, or at least a big half. Derek Carr should be able to do whatever he wants in this one and Amari Cooper and Michael Crabtree will be open all day.
Khalil Mack could break Derek Thomas’ sack record in this game with McCown in his sites and against that Jets offensive line. The Raiders didn’t record an interception against Tennessee last week. Expect that zero to grow by at least a couple as McCown serves up the ball with a side salad and loaded baked potato.
The Pick
The only fact that scares me about this game is that line, -13.5. It’s not that Oakland can’t cover it, they could easily. The concern for me is how quickly Jack Del Rio will call off the dogs with a solid lead in the second half. This is just the kind of game that Todd Bowles and New York could try to save a little face by scoring a couple of garbage touchdowns against the back end of the Raiders roster. Still, even those guys should be better than most of the Jets’ starters. No NFL coach gives a shit about the spread and they shouldn’t. Still, I’m rolling the dice. Raiders 34, Jets 10
This week
Straight up: 0-1
Against the spread: 1-0
Season
Straight up: 10-6
Against the spread: 9-7
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