It’s been a rough week for the Las Vegas Raiders. They will take on the 0-11 New York Jets and should get their seventh win of the year. Nevertheless, the history of them traveling to the ‘Big Apple’ has not been pretty.
The Raiders have historically struggled against the Jets
Let’s just go back to the last time the Raiders traveled to New York to face the ‘Gang Green’. The Raiders were 6-4 at the time and got blown out by the 3-7 Jets by a score of 34-3. The offense got completely shut out by a team they needed to beat in order to keep their playoffs hopes alive.
That sounds familiar, doesn’t it? Last season, quarterback Sam Darnold blew past the defense, throwing for 315 yards and for two touchdowns. Meanwhile, Raiders quarterback Derek Carr managed a mere 127 yards and an interception.
If we take a look at these two teams and their history of matchups, we have to go back very, very far to see when the last time the Raiders beat the Jets on the road. The Raiders last beat the Jets on the road in 1996, winning by a score of 34-13.
Jeff Hostetler was the starting quarterback for the Raiders and the Jets were 0-5 heading into the game. He threw for 188 yards with three touchdowns and one interception. Frank Reich threw for 177 yards for the Jets with one touchdown and two interceptions. This moved the Silver and Black to a record of 2-4. To put this in perspective, Carr was only five years old. It has been that long.
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How are things looking ahead of Week 13?
A lot has gone wrong for Vegas this week, coming off a really embarrassing game against a team they could have easily handled. Safety Johnathan Abram and running back Josh Jacobs are out with injuries. This puts a lot more pressure on the Raiders to perform well. They will need to rely on Devontae Booker to carry the load and make sure this game starts off great and they never look back.
Keep in mind the Raiders have lost their last six games on the road against the Jets. For some reason, this Las Vegas team always underperforms against this AFC East foe. It could be the weather, but they have historically played poorly against them. In Week 13, they will have a shot at breaking this slump. While this game may be inconsequential for New York, this game is key for the Raiders’ playoff hopes in 2020.
The Silver and Black need a statement win in New York. They have a lot of ground to make up, and they need all the momentum they can to end this season on a great note. They have done plenty of great work this season, and another loss on the road against the winless Jets can virtually undo all of that.
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Top Photo: Chris Pedota, NorthJersey.com-USA Today Network