The Raiders earned their first road victory last week against the Houston Texans and now come back home to face the Tennessee Titans in an AFC matchup. Both teams are looking for a win this week to throw themselves back in the mix for the sixth playoff spot in the AFC. Here’s a look at the five keys to victory for the Raiders against the Titans:
1. Repeat Performance From The Rookie In his first career NFL start, quarterback Matt McGloin threw for 197 yards with three touchdowns and zero interceptions. He earned his first win and another start this week with Terrelle Pryor still limited due to a knee injury. If the Raiders have a chance to win, McGloin will have to be just as good or better than he was last week. The Titans have the seventh-ranked passing defense in terms of yards, but the rookie was efficient against the top-ranked passing defense last week. The Raiders still have the 31st-ranked passing offense in terms of yards but points are more important than yards. McGloin failed to reach the 200-yard mark against the Texans but his three touchdown passes were the key in the victory. The Raiders may be without top receiver Denarius Moore, who is nursing a shoulder injury but should once again be able to move the ball through the air with McGloin under center and in the pocket.
2. Contain Chris Johnson Although he is not the same player he was back in 2009, running back Chris Johnson still has the capability to take over a game. The 28-year-old ran for 86 yards and two touchdowns last week and is the 11th-ranked rusher in the NFL. On the season, he has 632 rushing yards and four scores; however, he will be going up against the sixth-ranked rushing defense of the Raiders this week. The Raiders must keep Johnson from reliving his glory days and breaking off big runs. On the season, Johnson has four runs of over 20 yards and still remains one of the fastest running backs in the game. The defense of the Raiders has been strong against the run this season and should not have an issue stopping Johnson. As long as the Raiders play how they have all season, Johnson should have a frustrating game and make the Titans one-dimensional.
3. Win The Field Position Game The Raiders have scored many of their touchdowns this season on a short field, including two drives of under 20 yards last week. Besides the field position given on turnovers, the Raiders also have another weapon in helping them win the game within the game: Marquette King. The second-year punter is fourth in the NFL in punting average and has filled in quite well for the departed Shane Lechler. On the other side, the Titans’ punter Brett Kern ranks 26th in the NFL with an average of 43.5 yards per punt. This gives the Raiders a significant advantage in flipping the field and pinning the Titans deeper in their territory. The Titan offense ranks 21st in terms of yards and features a backup quarterback in Ryan Fitzpatrick, making it ideal for the Raiders to give them a longer field to work with. The Raiders could use a couple early turnovers again this week to give them some easy points, but if they cannot, they will have the advantage in the field position game.
4. Sebastian Janikowski The longtime Raider kicker has struggled this season and has hurt the Raiders’ chances in more than one game. Last week, he missed a field goal that could have potentially given the Raiders an eight-point lead on the final drive. Janikowski has missed five field goals this season with much of the blame placed on the fact that his former holder Lechler is now in Houston. As the Raiders try to join the playoff picture, they will have games that come down to a few points and will need to rely on Janikowski. The Titans will provide a solid matchup this week and it is very likely that the game could be decided on the foot of the veteran kicker. Janikowski has been dealing with a slight injury the past few weeks but will need to be ready to go if called upon on Sunday.
5. Protect Home Field The Titans are 2-2 on the road this season, while the Raiders have won three of five at o.Co Coliseum. The Raiders will need to defend their turf and improve their home record. They have scored at least 19 points in each home victory and likely will need at least that much this week against the Titans. If the Raiders plan to be a playoff team, they must learn how to win at home, especially with their struggles on the road this season. The Raiders have one of the most unique home-field advantages: the Black Hole. The team must get the crowd into the game early and feed off that energy to earn the victory. The Week 12 matchup is the most important game of the season and the Raiders will need to win at their field to prove they are legitimate. (h/t Raiders Tribune)
