Bills vs. Raiders: Breaking Down Oakland’s Game Plan

The season is winding down, and the Oakland Raiders will play their last home game against a potential playoff-bound Buffalo Bills team.

Oakland has the tough task of dissecting arguably the most underrated defense in the NFL. Buffalo is only allowing 18.1 points per game.

Led by an aggressive and stout defensive line, the Bills were able to prevent both Peyton Manning and Aaron Rodgers from throwing touchdown passes in consecutive weeks; both quarterbacks were also held under 200 passing yards and intercepted twice.

Fortunately for the Raiders, the Bills offense is still mediocre at best. Buffalo earned a victory against the Green Bay Packers without rushing or throwing for a touchdown.

Tight end Mychal Rivera has proved to be effective when attacking the middle of the field through the air. Offensive coordinator Greg Olson must continue developing the short passing attack, targeting the running backs, in effort to expand the offense. 

Here are the expectations and the effective game plan for Oakland’s matchup against the Bills.

 

Neutralize Pass Rush



Last week, Oakland’s offensive line was beaten repeatedly in the trenches by the Kansas City Chiefs' aggressive defensive line, allowing four sacks.

Buffalo’s defensive line will have the same objective; it's leading the league in sacks (49). The Raiders must protect their franchise quarterback by running the ball frequently. Latavius Murray's contributions within the game plan will be the key to offsetting the Bills' defensive front.

Murray hasn’t been as successful in the games following his breakout performance in Week 12, but the use of the run gives Carr more breathing room in the pocket.



The threat of Murray scampering to the edge forces defensive ends Mario Williams and Jerry Hughes to spread out for containment, which tak...

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