The most pleasant surprise of Week 3 was the play of the defense. Heading into the game, the consensus was that the New England Patriots would win comfortably. That turned out not to be the case as the Oakland defense had by far its best performance of the season.
The secondary bent but never broke, and it was able to keep the New England offense out of the end zone aside from one touchdown. But the biggest factor was the play of the defensive line, which was able to generate pressure on an opposing quarterback for the first time in three games.
The Oakland front seven was also effective against the run, holding the Patriots to 76 yards on only 2.4 yards per carry. Although the defense gave up some plays, it held New England to 16 points, created some three-and-outs in the fourth quarter and gave the team a chance to win.
The offense continues to show promise, but that has yet to translate into points. The Oakland offense has yet to score more than 14 points in a game, and it's currently averaging a pitiful 12.3 points per contest, last in the NFL. Whether the defense plays well or not, it's going to take more than that from the offense for the Raiders to get their first win.
After an impressive opening-week victory over New England, the Miami Dolphins haven't come close to duplicating the same level of play, and they've been blown out the last two weeks. As Oakland has improved, Miami has regressed, making this a very winnable game for the Raiders.
This week, the Raiders travel to London, England, for their Week 4 "home" game. Sunday's kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m. ET from Wembley Stadium. Here's a complete breakdown of t...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Oakland Raiders
