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Despite the fact that the Oakland Raiders just lost a shootout to the Buffalo Bills and passed up a good opportunity to take the lead in the AFC West, they are riding about as much momentum as the 2-0 New York Jets, fresh off the destruction of the Jacksonville Jaguars in week two. The Jets had a great win in week one over the Dallas Cowboys, sealing the deal with a Darrelle Revis interception, and just stomped the Jaguars into the ground in week two.
While that was happening, the Raiders were beating the Denver Broncos handily and going toe-to-toe with the suddenly-resurgent Bills. Oakland looked good in week two ... really good, in fact, when it comes to the offensive side of the ball, the team's weakness over the last ... long time. Jason Campbell looks like a starting quarterback and Denarious Moore, with his 146 receiving yards in week two, looked like a superstar wide receiver.
It is still the Buffalo Bills, who aren't winning any Super Bowls any time soon, but the fact that the Raiders were able to execute offensively is huge for them. They're going to have just a little bit more swagger heading into the game against the Jets at home.
About that ... it is the Jets, and regardless of your opinion on them, Rex Ryan makes sure they've ample amounts of swagger with which to strut on gameday. Defensively, they're one of the best teams in the league, and they forced Luke McCown to throw four interceptions and held him to just 59 yards on Sunday. That's ... unbelievably bad, which is actually something that may work out in Oakland's favor.
Seeing as how the Jaguars are, well, the Jaguars, it was probably every bit their own fault they struggled offensively as it was the Jets and Ryan's stellar defense. The Raiders have a better offense and better players, they've already got a better shot. Their speedy receivers and running backs set a different pace and it might just be enough to give them a much-needed edge against the Jets and their secondary.
One good thing going for Oakland is the fact that the Jets offense remains unimpressive. Mark Sanchez remains one of the more mistake-prone quarterbacks in the league, with two interceptions to go along with his two touchdowns. Shon Greene only pulled 49 yards on Sunday, and the Jets relied almost solely on their defense and the fact that the Jaguars are inept to get that win, however big of a margin they won by.
The Raiders will have their hands full, and it's kind of odd to think that they'll have a better chance defensively against the Jets than they did against Ryan Fitzpatrick and the Bills, but that truly is the reality of the situation for them right now. At the very least, Hue Jackson will be looking for consistency and cohesiveness for his offense.