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Raiders Look For Two-Game Sweep In Florida

By Dave Thomas

For the Oakland Raiders (4-2), an upcoming two-game stretch in Florida could go a long way in determining if this proves to be a successful season or not.

After squandering a chance to go 2-0 in AFC West play this past Sunday (lost at home to Kansas City 26-10), the Raiders look to get back on track this week when they visit Jacksonville (2-3).

As this past weekend's loss to the Chiefs showed, there is still much work to be done in the Bay Area if Oakland is to make a run at a playoff spot, something that has eluded the team for more than a decade.

Cooper, Carr Off To Solid Starts

One area that doesn't appear to need attention is the play of wide receiver Amari Cooper.

The second-year pro had his best career game to date, catching 10 balls for 129 yards in the loss to the Chiefs. To date on the season, Cooper has 36 receptions (seventh best in the NFL this season) for 585 yards, though he has only reached the end zone one time.

Quarterback Derek Carr has also put up impressive numbers through six games, passing for 1,608 yards and 12 TDs. One area of concern, however, has to be the sacks. In just the last two outings, Carr has been sacked five times.

Where Is The Rushing Attack?

Whether it's lack of solid play from the offensive line or a non-existent rushing game remains to be seen. One thing's clear: When Oakland's running game is all but stuffed, the Raiders will need to rely on Carr and his receivers even more. In the loss to the Chiefs, Oakland only managed one touchdown on the day, something that won't win you many games.

Although the Raiders have rushed for 661 yards through six games, Latavius Murray's absence over the last few games (toe injury) has hurt. Murray, who has three rushing TDs on the season, was definitely missed in the loss to Kansas City. On a day when weather conditions were less than ideal, Oakland's running game was all but stuffed. To date, DeAndre Washington leads the team with 219 yards on the ground.

Are The Jaguars Better Than Their 2-3 Record?

When it comes to Jacksonville, the Jaguars were all but a sure win the last few seasons for other teams in the league.

Even though Jacksonville is improving, Sunday's game is one where Oakland all but needs to win. Despite Jacksonville entering the game as a one-point favorite, this is a game on paper that Oakland should be favored in.

Jacksonville, fresh off a come from behind 17-16 win in Chicago last weekend, went 5-11 a season ago. With higher expectations coming into this season, the Jaguars are definitely a threat at home. Unlike some more hostile environments in the NFL (Kansas City, Denver etc.), Oakland won't have to go against a rabid crowd. That said, getting out to an early lead and taking what crowd there is out of the game would certainly help.

Will Florida Be The Sunshine State?

In an unusual schedule quirk, the Raiders spend the next two weekends in the Sunshine State, meeting Tampa Bay on Oct. 30.

While there are no automatic W's in the NFL, these next two Sundays are games the Raiders all but need to win, especially if they entertain hopes of winning the AFC West for the first time since the 2002 season. Ironically, Oakland went to the Super Bowl that same season, falling to Tampa Bay by a 48-21 score.

After this two-game swing through Florida, Oakland's schedule gets more interesting, starting Nov. 6 (Denver) with the first of four straight home games. While four straight in the Bay Area sounds good, keep in mind that Oakland will finish the regular season playing three of its last four on the road.

Safe to say, leaving Florida on Oct. 30 with two straight wins (Jacksonville, Tampa Bay) could set the stage for a very interesting November and beyond in the AFC West.

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