Sunday December 12th, 2010 1:00 PM EST
Line: Jacksonville -4
Overview:
The 7-5 Jacksonville Jaguars are in sole possession of first place in the AFC South. A win this week would propel them one game ahead of the Indianapolis Colts. While their record will not be good enough to earn them a wild card spot, their playoff hopes are very much alive and well.
They have already beaten the Colts this season and will likely control their playoff destiny, as they play the Colts again this season for what will likely decide the outcome of the division.
This week they take on the 6-6 Oakland Raiders, a team that has also made tremendous strides this season. The Raiders are two games out of first place, but if they can manage to gain a game on the division leading Kansas City Chiefs before Week 17, they could potentially overtake the division with a victory at Arrowhead Stadium.
As it stands, the Raiders have lost two of their last three games since the bye week. Even so, they destroyed the San Diego Chargers last week, solidifying their reputation as the most unpredictable team in the NFL.
While I always break down the Keys to the Game, I am going to skip that portion in this analysis, as this game rests solely upon the Key Matchup. Since two players will decide the entire outcome of this game, the matchup warrants more detail than any other game I have ever broken down.
Key Matchup:
Maurice Jones-Drew vs. Darren McFadden
Maurice Jones-Drew has rushed for over 100 yards in five straight games. He is the second leading rusher in the NFL and continues to be overly impressive every single week. He is on pace to hit 1,569 yards this season. With seven games of 98 yards or more, Jones-Drew is one of the most explosive backs in the league.
The entire Jacksonvill...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Oakland Raiders
