NEW YORK JETS (4-4) at LAS VEGAS (4-5)
Sunday, 8:20pm EST, NBC
OPENING LINE: Jets 1, according to FanDuel SportsBook.
AGAINST THE SPREAD: Jets 4-3-1; Raiders 4-5.
SERIES RECORD: Raiders are 24-18-2.
LAST MEETING: The Raiders defeated the Jets 31-28 on December 6, 2020 in East Rutherford, NJ.
LAST WEEK: Jets lost to Chargers 27-6; The Raiders beat the Giants 30-6.
JACKET OFFENSE: TOTAL (31), RUSH (20), PASS (30), POINT (30).
RESTUEI DEFENSE: TOTAL (9), RUSH (30), PASS (3), POINT (T-8).
RAIDERS OFFENSE: TOTAL (30), RUSH (31), PASS (23), POINTS (27)
RAIDERS DEFENSE: TOTAL (15), RUSH (31), PASS (8), POINTS (19)
SPEED DIFFERENTIAL: Nozzles even; Raiders minus-6.
JETS PLAYER TO WATCH: QB Zach Wilson. New York is sticking with the third-year quarterback despite the offensive tackle’s struggles. Coach Robert Saleh insisted there is no mandate from anyone in the organization to play against Wilson, who has five TDs and five INTs this season for an offense that ranks among the worst in the league. But if Wilson and the offense can’t do much against the Raiders, the call for a quarterback change will become even louder.
PLAYER TO WATCH FOR RAIDERS: RB Josh Jacobs. Interim coach Antonio Pierce said he expects both teams to rely on the run, so look for Las Vegas to try to establish a physical presence. The Raiders did that against the Giants, and Jacobs had his season-best 98-yard rushing game. Especially with rookie quarterback Aidan O’Connell facing an elite defense, Jacobs should get plenty of opportunities.
KEY AGAINST: Raiders WR Davante Adams vs. Jets CBs Sauce Gardner and DJ Reed. Not many cornerbacks can play against Adams one-on-one, but the New York duo may be able to do just that. The Jets will likely send their share of double teams to Adams as well, but the individual matchups will be the most worth watching.
KEY INJURIES: Jets OT Duane Brown had his 21-day practice window to be activated from IR starting last week, but it’s uncertain if he’ll be ready this week after recovering from a hip injury. … New York OL Billy Turner is dealing with an arm injury that could keep him out. … Raiders linebacker Divine Deablo has missed the past two games with an ankle injury and did not practice Wednesday. … LB Luke Masterson, who sat out the Giants game with a concussion, returned to practice. … LT Kolton Miller (shoulder) and CB Marcus Peters (knee) did not practice Wednesday. Peters was injured against the Giants.
STREAK NOTES: The Raiders took advantage of an all-out blitz by the Jets in the last meeting when Derek Carr completed a 46-yard touchdown pass to Henry Ruggs with 5 seconds left. The Jets fired defensive coordinator Greg Williams the next day. … Raiders have won three of last four meetings. … They are 15-6-1 against the Jets in home games. … This is the first date in Las Vegas.
STATS AND STUFF: The game marks the fourth prime-time game the Jets will play this season and the second on Sunday night. They lost to Kansas City 23-20 at home in Week 4. … The Jets have scored just eight touchdowns on offense in eight games, including five TD passes by Wilson, two TD runs by Breece Hall and another by Nick Bawden. … Nathaniel Hackett’s offense ranks last in the NFL in third down conversion percentage (22.2%) and last in red zone conversion rate (24%). … Wilson had season highs last Monday night against the Chargers in completions (33), attempts (49) and passing yards (263), but was sacked eight times and lost two fumbles. The 33 completions were also a career best. … Hall’s 5.2 yards per attempt is tied with Baltimore quarterback Lamar Jackson for fourth-best in the NFL. … New York hasn’t allowed a 300-yard passer in 26 games. It is the second-longest active streak in the NFL behind New Orleans (29). … Edge rusher Bryce Huff has a team-high five sacks this season and has beaten the quarterback at least once in four straight games. … Rookie Will McDonald, the team’s first-round pick in April, had the first half-sack of his career against the Chargers. … K Greg Zuerlein has scored at least one field goal in 25 straight games, the longest active streak in the NFL. He also connected on 30 consecutive field goals from within 50 yards, the longest streak of his career and the second-longest active streak in the league. … Like the Jets, the Raiders have been a regular in prime time this season. It’s the fourth such game for Las Vegas, and the Raiders are 1-2 with a win over the Green Bay Packers and losses to the Pittsburgh Steelers and Detroit Lions. The Raiders have one more game in prime time on the schedule – Dec. 14 at home against the Los Angeles Chargers. … After the Las Vegas offense had gone nine straight games without scoring at least 20 points, the Raiders surpassed that at halftime Sunday against the Giants. The Raiders finished with 30 points. … All-Pro RB Josh Jacobs, who led the league in rushing last season, hasn’t gained at least 100 yards on the ground in his last 14 games. He actually reached that mark against the Giants, only to lose 3 yards on his final carry and fall to 98. … Las Vegas is rarely beaten deep. The Raiders have given up 15 passes of at least 20 yards, the fewest in the NFL this season. … AJ Cole set an NFL single-game record with a 63.6-yard gross average (minimum four attempts) against the Giants. … DE Maxx Crosby’s 78 tackles for loss since 2019 are the most in the league over that span. … Aidan O’Connell could become the second Raiders QB to win two of his first three starts as a rookie. Mike Ray in 1976 is the only other.
FANTASY TIP: Jets RB Breece Hall. He’s a home run hitter who averages 5.2 yards per carry, tied with Baltimore Ravens QB Lamar Jackson for the second-best mark. Considering Las Vegas ranks near the bottom in allowing an average of 4.5 yards per carry, Hall may have an opportunity to put up big numbers.
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