Oakland Raiders vs. New York Jets
Oakland Raiders head coach Dennis Allen told reporters after practice on Monday that rookie quarterback from Fresno State, Derek Carr will get the start for the Raiders over veteran Matt Shaub and it will not be a week-to-week measure, he’s the quarterback. The New York Jets will be hosting Oakland at MetLife Stadium Sept. 7 in each team’s NFL opener. Jets head coach Rex Ryan and his defense don’t have too much to worry about of the new rookie quarterback, Ryan-coached-teams are 7-3 against rookie quarterbacks. The losses come from Russell Wilson, EJ Manuel and Ryan Tannehill.
Details for Sunday’s game are below:
Date: Sunday, Sept. 7, 2014
Start Time: 1 p.m. ET
Location: East Rutherford, N.J.
Stadium: MetLife Stadium
TV Info: CBS
Live Stream: DirecTV Sunday NFL Ticket
Radio: OAKLAND: 98.5 KFOX & 102.9 KBLX/ NEW YORK: ESPN New York 98.7 FM
Ticket information: For NEW YORK JETS ticket info click here. For OAKLAND RAIDERS ticket info click here.
Keys to Victory
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Rex Ryan will be sending out a New York Jets defense that lacks heavily in secondary presence, especially with Dee Milliner out with injury, against a seemingly impressive rookie quarterback in Carr. Ryan will need to battle that with consistent blitzing, allowing the secondary to press receivers early especially with a rookie passer on the other side of the line of scrimmage. Also, with Maurice Jones-Drew and Darren McFadden in the backfield for Oakland, the Jets will need to focus hard on stopping Jones-Drew who played well in the preseason averaging 7.3 yards-per-carry in the first three games. The Jets ranked third in rush defense last year and will need to show that on Sunday. Geno Smith enters his second year at the helm in New York after his 8-8 rookie season and he needs to show poise and accuracy especially with new target, Eric Decker. Smith, along with new running back Chris Johnson and second-year Chris Ivory will look to take the Jets to their first playoff game since 2010.
The Oakland Raiders are coming off their second consecutive 4-12 season and 11th consecutive non-winning year, the longest active streak in the NFL. They’re almost a new team on offense and made some key additions on defense. Derek Carr will get the start for Oakland after an impressive 11-for-13, 143 yards and three touchdowns performance against Seattle in the preseason as well as veteran Matt Shaub’s shoulder injury. Carr passed for over 5,000 yards and had 50 touchdowns in his senior season as Fresno State. Carr will need to be able to make crisp passes and be able to find former Packers receiver James Jones, who had 1,601 yards with only five drops the last two years with Green Bay. Oakland was 22nd in total defense in 2013, and with additions of LaMarr Woodley, Justin Tuck and Khalil Mack joining veteran corner Charles Woodson, they look to improve. They’ll need to stop speedy carrier, Chris Johnson as well as Chris Ivory. Oakland needs to utilize it’s new running back Maurice Jones-Drew, but needs not to be afraid to pass against a weak Jets secondary. The Raiders have had nine different starting quarterbacks since 2003, and will try to find some consistency with young gun Carr.
Betting Odds
Point Spread:
Moneyline: NYJ -5.5
O/U: 40.0
Prediction
The Oakland Raiders have continued to disappoint ever since their runner-up Super Bowl performance in 2002. They’ve been inconsistent and inefficient on offense as well as defense, where they were once known to be great. Well now, Oakland looks like they have it together. The perfect blend of young and old. Veterans Woodson, Tuck, Woodley as well as rookie Mack on the defensive side. A rookie quarterback who arguably fell way further in the draft than he should’ve may be a blessing for Oakland, who added veteran running back Jones-Drew and receiver Jones. The Jets aren’t quite there yet. Geno Smith will have to do a lot to boost the five and half point favored Jets squad in this game. Derek Carr proved impressive in the preseason as well as his college days. He looks like an NFL quarterback already and I think he’ll settle in quickly to score touchdowns for Oakland. Oakland wins after a key fourth quarter scoring drive courtesy of Carr.
Final Score: Oakland Raiders: 24, New York Jets: 20