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Jacksonville Jaguars vs Las Vegas Raiders: Preview

todayOctober 25, 2022

Background

The NFL season has already given us several gripping storylines and some memorable moments, and there is still a long way to go before we get to the playoffs.

But for fans looking ahead at the schedule or deciding where to use their welcome offer free bets, predicting how the season will play out and how the teams will develop is a key part of the NFL picture.

 

In this article, we will be taking a look at the upcoming game between two teams who have struggled in the early part of the season: Jacksonville Jaguars and Las Vegas Raiders.

 

Jaguars struggling once again

 

The Urban Meyer experiment was a miserable failure and in 2021 the Jacksonville Jaguars struggled despite having the number one draft pick in Trevor Lawrence.

 

After a record of just four wins in the previous two seasons, the only away appeared to be up under new coach Doug Pederson, but the early signs have suggested that the Jaguars have a lot of work in front of them.

There were some reasons to be optimistic for Jags fans. Lawrence was projected to be better in his second season, with a better coaching setup in place, while a lot was expected of running back Travis Etienne Jr, returning after a season out and new wide receiver Christian Kirk.

Linebacker Travon Walker and linebacker Devin Lloyd also arrived from the first round of the 2022 draft.

 

The early signs have not been encouraging. The Jaguars scored good wins over the Colts and the Chargers but also lost four of their first six games, and a combination of questionable play calling, quarterback errors and defensive mistakes made it hard for them to establish any consistency.

 

Raiders aiming to recover after chaotic start

 

Although they are in the toughest division in the NFL, there was real cause for optimism for Raiders fans ahead of the 2022 season after a chaotic 2021. Dave Ziegler came in as general manager and former Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels took over from Jon Gruden as head coach.

 

There were significant moves to strengthen the roster as the franchise aimed to compete in the AFC West. Davante Adams was the main headline-grabbing acquisition but pass rusher Chandler Jones was another big addition, and they also secured quarterback Derek Carr and defensive end Maxx Crosby.

 

The combination of Adams, tight end Darren Waller and reliable slot receiver Hunter Renfrow was expected to be one of the best offensive groups in the NFL.

 

It hasn’t turned out that way. They lost four of their first five games amid speculation about McDaniels and his merits as head coach, with some analysts recalling his failed spell as head coach in Denver.

 

Head-to-head

 

In a league full of historic rivalries, this is one of the newer ones, as these two teams from opposite sides of the country have met only nine times since the Jaguars joined the NFL in 1995.

 

Their first meeting was early in the 1996 season when the Raiders won 17-3, but the Jaguars won the next four games, including a huge 49-11 win in 2007. It was then the Raiders turn to dominate as they won the next three encounters.

 

Their last game was a little under three years ago, in December 2019, when Jacksonville won 20-16 in Oakland.

 

The Raiders held a 16-6 lead late in the fourth quarter, but Chris Conley ran in a touchdown for the Jags and the Raiders then failed to run out the clock and missed a field goal, allowing Jacksonville to score a winning touchdown from Conley.

 

This was the last game that the Raiders played in Oakland before their move to Las Vegas and the fans made their feelings known as the players left the field.

 

Key players to watch

 

With both teams strong at defending the run, the focus will be on Trevor Lawrence to orchestrate a more effective passing offense. In the victories over the Colts and the Chargers – Lawrence demonstrated the potential to be an elite quarterback.

 

At times, however, he has struggled to move the chains and made poor judgment calls at big moments. More consistency is required from Lawrence and the Raiders’ poor passing defense gives him a great opportunity to shine.

 

Davante Adams made NFL headlines in the summer when he opted to leave Green Bay and head to Las Vegas to be reunited with his old college teammate Derek Carr. Through the first five games of the season, he led the way in touchdowns, recording five, but caught only 53% of his catches.

 

There were signs that Carr and Adams were getting on the same wavelength in the loss to Kansas City, but the Jaguars are vulnerable on pass defense and Adams will be aiming to step up here.

 

Where the game will be won and lost

 

Las Vegas Raiders have shown signs of improvement, but they have also been fragile, giving up a 17-0 lead to lose to their divisional rivals Kansas City – that is something that the Jags will be aiming to exploit.

 

The one area of the game where both teams have excelled is in defending against the run and this is likely to be a pass-orientated game: a shootout between Lawrence and Carr. Lawrence has more promise but Carr is the more consistent – so this will be a fascinating matchup.

Written by: 1010admin


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