Jets Raiders Preview, New York Looking to Rebound after Loss to Patriots

Darrelle Revis (Getty Images)
Jets will need Revis to shut down Cooper.

Jets @ Raiders Preview

The 4-2 Jets will be heading to Oakland this weekend to take on the 3-3 Raiders. The Jets are looking to bounce back after their 30-23 loss in New England last Sunday.

Tickets start at just $43, according to TiqIQ.com. Hotels in Oakland at Hipmunk.com are not much pricier, with the cheapest rates currently at $54.

And with the Patriots beating the Dolphins on Thursday Night Football to advance to 7-0, the Jets really cannot afford another loss this week if they still want a chance at winning the division.

For the Jets to win this Sunday, here are their keys to the game.

1. Amari Cooper – Amari Cooper is having an unbelievable rookie campaign in his first year out of the University of Alabama. He already has 33 receptions this year, 519 receiving yards, and three touchdown catches. Last week in San Diego, he had 133 receiving yards to go along with a touchdown catch. He may be a rookie, but he is a tough guy to cover. Luckily for the Jets, there should be an easy solution: Darrelle Revis. The Jets will put Revis on Cooper and that should be the end of that problem. Cooper should have almost no chance to impact the game against a corner like Revis, and on top of that, Amari Cooper is Derek Carr’s only major threat. With Cooper out of the picture, the Raiders will have a tough time on offense.
2. Ground and Pound – Believe it or not, but the Oakland Raiders actually have the third best running defense in the NFL as they allow just 84.3 rushing yards per game. So it will be interesting to see if the Jets stick to the run game as much as they have all season. But if the Jets are able to get in a groove with the run game, then they should have no problems at all on offense. Even if the Jets struggle on the run game, they should have no problems passing the ball since the Raiders have the worst pass defense in the NFL. They allow just over 300 passing yards per game, so the Jets should have no problem on that front considering all the weapons they have on offense.

Here’s my prediction: Brandon Marshall and Eric Decker will have big games against Oakland’s secondary. And Derek Carr will have a lot of problems throwing the ball against New York’s secondary since Revis will be there to lock down Amari Cooper. The Jets will win 23-7.