Three bold predictions for the Raiders in week four

It’s Friday which of course means it’s time for my weekly bold predictions for the Oakland Raiders. And as always, we will start by taking a look at how I did with my bold predictions last weekend. Unfortunately, after the beat down that the Raiders took on Sunday Night Football, this review probably won’t be so much fun so let’s just get it over with.

LAST WEEK’S PREDICTIONS

1 - Derek Carr throws for over yards 325

Yeah, no, not so much. It was Derek Carr’s worst game as a professional and he wasn’t able to come anywhere near the 325 yards I predicted. In fact, the offense as a whole only barely put 100 yards on the board. And the only reason they hit 100 yards is because of a garbage time drive at the end of the fourth quarter when Washington was no longer playing strong defense.

2 - Raiders defense holds Washington running backs to under 100 yards

You know, as bad as Sunday was, the Raiders run defense wasn’t bad. The Raiders didn’t keep them under 100 yards but they didn’t get a whole lot more, finishing the day with 114 yards. As I noted earlier this week, the defense was not the issue on Sunday, that loss falls entirely on the offense.

3 - Raiders win by two scores

HA! Well, they lost by more than two scores so this one wasn’t even close. The Raiders lost by 17 and to be perfectly honest, they are lucky that’s all they lost by. That was a game that felt more like 52-10 instead of 27-10.

Heading into last week I was 2-4 on the season. With three misses this week, I fall to 2-7 on the season. Let’s see if i can improve on that record this weekend.

THIS WEEK’S PREDICTIONS

1 - Khalil Mack has two sacks and two tackles for a loss

Unlike in years past, the whole slow start thing hasn’t been a problem for Khalil Mack this year. Mack has two sacks and two tackles for a loss this season and on Sunday, he will double those numbers.

While the Denver offense has improved and quarterback Trevor Siemien has played respectably, their offensive line remains an absolute mess. It’s hands down the weakest link on this team and perhaps the weakest link on that line is former Raider Menelik Watson. And as it just so happens, Watson plays right tackle, where Khalil Mack often lines up. Watson has been a turnstyle this season, allowing anyone and everyone access to his quarterback. This Sunday will be no different and Mack will feast in the Denver backfield.

2 - Raiders runningbacks go for over 125 rushing yards

Last weekend, the Raiders run game didn’t even have a chance to get going as the team fell behind early and tried to lean on Derek Carr to get them back into the game. The result was only 13 rushing attempts for the team as a whole and a measly 32 yards of production from those 13 carries. That’s just flat out pathetic.

If the Raiders want to pull off the upset on the road this weekend, getting the run game going will be pivotal. Denver improved their run defense a lot this offseason (perhaps in direct response to the way Oakland ran all over them last year). But even with the upgrades, you’d rather attack the run defense than the pass defense. Not only do the Broncos have an elite secondary, they have one of the best pass rushes in the league. Getting the ground game going will be huge for the Raiders.

3 - Raiders force at least two turnovers

Last season, while the Raiders defense was clearly the achilles heel of this team, one thing they did very, very well was force turnovers. So far this season, the Raiders have forced four turnovers in three games. On Sunday, they will bring their average up a little by making it back to back games with at least two turnovers. And don’t be surprised if Khalil Mack is involved in at least one of them.

And the fact of the matter is, the Raiders may need to rely on turnovers this weekend. The Denver Broncos are a damn good team even after they lost to the Buffalo Bills. Their defense is flat out scary and their offense can get just enough done. It’s a difficult opponent and the team who comes away winning the turnover battle could easily end up being the team who wins the game.