NEW YORK JETS (4-4) at LAS VEGAS (4-5)
Sunday, 8:20 p.m. EST, NBC
OPENING LINE: Jets by 1, according to FanDuel SportsBook.
AGAINST THE SPREAD: Jets 4-3-1; Raiders 4-5.
SERIES RECORD: Raiders lead 24-18-2.
LAST MEETING: Raiders beat Jets 31-28 on Dec. 6, 2020, in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
LAST WEEK: Jets lost to Chargers 27-6; Raiders beat Giants 30-6.
JETS OFFENSE: OVERALL (31), RUSH (20), PASS (30), SCORING (30).
JETS DEFENSE: OVERALL (9), RUSH (30), PASS (3), SCORING (T-8).
RAIDERS OFFENSE: OVERALL (30), RUSH (31), PASS (23), SCORING (27)
RAIDERS DEFENSE: OVERALL (15), RUSH (31), PASS (8), SCORING (19)
TURNOVER DIFFERENTIAL: Jets even; Raiders minus-6.
JETS PLAYER TO WATCH: QB Zach Wilson. New York is sticking with the third-year quarterback despite the offense’s struggles. Coach Robert Saleh has insisted there’s no mandate from anyone within the organization to play Wilson, who has five TDs and five INTs this season on an offense that ranks among the league’s worst. But if Wilson and the offense can’t do much against the Raiders, the call for a change at quarterback will get even louder.
RAIDERS PLAYER TO WATCH: RB Josh Jacobs. Interim coach Antonio Pierce said he expected both teams to rely on the run, so watch for Las Vegas to try to establish a physical presence. The Raiders did that against the Giants, and Jacobs had his best game of the season in rushing for 98 yards. Especially with rookie quarterback Aidan O’Connell going against an elite pass defense, Jacobs should get plenty of opportunities.
KEY MATCHUP: Raiders WR Davante Adams vs. Jets CBs Sauce Gardner and D.J. Reed. Not many cornerbacks can play Adams one on one, but the New York duo might be able to do just that. The Jets likely will send their share of double teams at Adams as well, but it’s the individual matchups that will be most worth watching.
KEY INJURIES: Jets OT Duane Brown had his 21-day practice window to be activated from IR started last week, but it’s uncertain if he’ll be ready to go this week after recovering from a hip injury. … New York OL Billy Turner is dealing with a hand injury that could keep him out. … Raiders linebacker Divine Deablo has missed the past two games because of ankle injury and did not practice Wednesday. … LB Luke Masterson, who didn’t play against the Giants because of a concussion, returned to practice. … LT Kolton Miller (shoulder) and CB Marcus Peters (knee) did not practice Wednesday. Peters was injured against the Giants.
SERIES NOTES: The Raiders took advantage of an all-out Jets blitz in the most recent meeting when Derek Carr completed a 46-yard touchdown pass to Henry Ruggs with 5 seconds left. The Jets fired defensive coordinator Gregg Williams the following day. … The Raiders have won three of the past four meetings. … They are 15-6-1 against the Jets in home games. … This is the first meeting in Las Vegas.
STATS AND STUFF: The game marks the fourth prime-time game in which the Jets will play this season, and second on a Sunday night. They lost to Kansas City 23-20 at home in Week 4. … The Jets have scored just eight touchdowns on offense in eight games, including five TD passes by Wilson, two TD runs by Breece Hall and another by Nick Bawden. … Nathaniel Hackett’s offense ranks last in the NFL in third down conversion rate (22.2%) and last in red zone conversion rate (24%). … Wilson had season highs last Monday night against the Chargers in completions (33), attempts (49) and yards passing (263), but was sacked eight times and lost two fumbles. The 33 completions were also a career best. … Hall’s 5.2 yards per attempt are tied with Baltimore quarterback Lamar Jackson for fourth best in the NFL. … New York hasn’t allowed a 300-yard passer in 26 games. It’s the second-longest active streak in the NFL behind New Orleans (29). … Edge rusher Bryce Huff has a team-leading five sacks this season and has taken down the quarterback at least once in four straight games. … Rookie edge rusher Will McDonald, the team’s first-round pick in April, got the first half-sack of his career against the Chargers. … K Greg Zuerlein has made at least one field goal in 25 straight games, the longest such active streak in the NFL. He has also connected on 30 consecutive field goals from within 50 yards, the longest streak of his career and the second-longest active run in the league. … Like with the Jets, the Raiders have been regulars on prime time this season. This is Las Vegas’ fourth such game, and the Raiders are 1-2 with the victory over the Green Bay Packers and the losses to the Pittsburgh Steelers and Detroit Lions. The Raiders have one more prime-time game on the schedule — Dec. 14 at home against the Los Angeles Chargers. … After Las Vegas’ offense had gone nine games in a row without scoring at least 20 points, the Raiders went past that at halftime Sunday against the Giants. The Raiders finished with 30 points. … All-Pro RB Josh Jacobs, who led the league in rushing last season, has not gained at least 100 yards on the ground over his past 14 games. He actually hit that mark against the Giants, only to lose 3 yards on his final carry and drop to 98. … Las Vegas rarely gets beat deep. The Raiders have given up 15 passes of at least 20 yards, fewest in the NFL this season. … AJ Cole set an NFL single-game record with a gross punting average of 63.6 yards (minimum of four attempts) against the Giants. … DE Maxx Crosby’s 78 tackles for loss since 2019 are the most in the league over that time. … Aidan O’Connell can become the second Raiders QB to win two of his first three starts as a rookie. Mike Rae in 1976 is the only other one.
FANTASY TIP: Jets RB Breece Hall. He is a home run hitter who averages 5.2 yards per carry, tied with Baltimore Ravens QB Lamar Jackson for second best. Considering Las Vegas ranks near the bottom in allowing a 4.5-yard average, Hall could have an opportunity to put up big numbers.
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