The Las Vegas Raiders will look to start a new winning streak after their Sunday Night loss against the Kansas City Chiefs. This time they head to Georgia to take on the 3-7 Atlanta Falcons. Here are some predictions you may need to look out for before kickoff.Â
Derek Carr continues to have success
After three years, Carr has finally got the hang of Jon Gruden’s scheme and has played comfortably in each game. He has gone head to head with the league’s best, Patrick Mahomes, putting up more than 30 points in each of their games played and coming away with a win in Arrowhead in Week 5. The Raiders have fielded a top 10 offense this year because they have surrounded Carr with deep threat weapons like Nelson Agholor and great options like Hunter Renfrow and Darren Waller. If they start to utilize the fast option, Henry Ruggs III, ‘4’ will only get better.Â
The Falcons defense ranks almost dead last, giving up 27.5 points a game. The Raiders’ offense has been consistent and putting up a lot of points to make up for their lackluster defensive effort throughout the year. After seeing what Carr was able to do against the best of the league, Carr should be able to throw three touchdowns and 200 yards.Â
Young secondary continues to show their flaws
Head coach Jon Gruden said it best about the Falcons when he called them the best 3-7 team he has ever seen. This Atlanta team has been very inconsistent throughout the year from a performance standpoint and has lost many leads in 2020. Had they kept the lead in these games that they have lost, their record would look a lot better. Let’s not forget, they still are led by Matt Ryan who has players like Julio Jones and Calvin Ridley who can burn through a secondary like the Raiders.Â
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Jones is currently questionable for Sunday’s game. Even if he’s not 100% and is still able to play, he can be a real threat to the Raiders’ corners. In games that the Falcons have won, Jones has played a big role in these wins and can cause some problems.
As for Ridley, he’s one of the bright spots for this team and one of Ryan’s favorite targets outside of Jones. In their last game against the Saints, Ridley hauled in five receptions for 90 yards on nine times. It is easy to look past these Falcons, but it must be emphasized that these are must-win games. The Raiders’ secondary could have some trouble if they don’t prepare for every scenario.Â
Raiders Leave Atlanta with the W by a score of 34-17
The Raiders should come out with a win. The Falcons have a lot of players that won’t be suiting up Sunday. This includes Todd Gurley who will be out with a knee injury. Players such as Julio Jones, Hayden Hurst, and Dante Fowler showed up as questionable on the team’s latest injury report.Â
Carr should have another great game, and Josh Jacobs and Devontae Booker will continue their run dominance. The last game left a bad taste in the Raiders’ mouth and they thought they could have won against the Chiefs and make a statement. Unfortunately, their defense let go of the game pretty quickly. The Silver and Black will go back to their winning ways as they continue for a playoff spot in dominating fashion.
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