Jacksonville Jaguars VS Oakland Raiders
The Jaguars scored fewer points than their opponents on average. They conceded 25 points while scoring just 21.4 points. Somehow they have been able to stay on top in their division. Their record stands at 7 wins against 5 losses.
The Jaguars have had a reasonable season but in some of the games they have been completely crushed, offsetting their statistics. They were defeated 13-38 against San Diego, 3-28 against Philadelphia and 3-30 against the Tennessee
Titans. The Jaguars have a tendency of collapsing but that doesn’t mean that they aren’t a good side.
They haven’t been on top of their division in week 13 since the 1999 season and this Sunday they will try to keep their place on top when they face the Oakland Raiders. The journey to the top was not easy for Jacksonville. In the
first 7 weeks the Jaguars lost 4 games. At that time, the Texans, Titans and Colts all streaked ahead of the Jaguars. However the Jaguars turned their fortunes around. They have lost just one game since week 7 and last week they defeated division rivals, the
Tennessee Titans to move up in their division.
The 6-6 Oakland Raiders are in second place in the AFC West. They are trailing behind the Kansas City Chiefs with two games and if they want to stay in the playoff race, they have to defeat the Jaguars.
The Raiders have been struggling for consistency with the rush. They are the 3rd best rushing side in the league but sometimes their rush fails to hold up. In the games that they won, the Raiders on average rushed almost
130 yards more than their opponents. Last week against the San Diego Chargers it was definitively the rush that won the Raiders the game. They rushed a phenomenal 251 yards against 21 by the Chargers.
In the week before, Oakland lost to the Miami Dolphins. Miami rushed a net 186 yards against just 16 by the Raiders. “If we just keep running the ball and doing what we do, then I think that's the Raiders,” running back, Michael
Bush said. “We come out, pound you, pound you, pound you, throw the ball, then I think we'll get a lot accomplished.”
As good as the Raiders are in regards to rushing the ball, Jacksonville is better. They rank second in the league on the ground with an average of 151.5 yards a game. Running back, Maurice Jones-Drew is on his 5,100 yards game
streak. In those five games, the Jaguars have averaged 184.8 yards per game.
They are also better at stopping the rush than the Raiders. Oakland, on average has allowed 124.3 yards per game so far this season while the Jaguars have allowed just 109.5. The two sides have met just four times before and on
three of those occasions the Raiders were defeated.
As far as passing the ball is concerned, neither team is any good at it but they are equally matched. Oakland ranks 28th in the league with an average of 189.5 yards per game. The Jaguars stand one rank behind them at
29th with 186.9 yards average. Where the Raiders have the edge is the pass rush. The Raiders are more capable of stopping the pass and that might prove to be their ace in the hole.
Jacksonville Quarterback, David Garrard has quite a few more touchdowns to his credit than Raiders Quarterback, Jason Campbell but he has also been intercepted more times. Oakland, however has not been producing turnovers. Garrard
though must be careful. One mistake here or there could cost them the game.
Apart from the run, Jacksonville would also have to keep an eye out for return touchdowns. The Jaguars have scored none while the Raiders have scored 5. Two of them were scored by rookie wide receiver, Jacoby Ford. “Running the
ball and stopping the run are good things to do, but it goes beyond that,” Jaguars coach, Jack Del Rio said. “They have five miscellaneous touchdowns. We don't have any yet.”
Tags: