Raiders vs Jaguars NFL Week 9 prediction: Heat is on Josh McDaniels and his play-calling
The Raiders look to rebound after a stunning 24-0 loss to the Saints in Week 8.
Las Vegas will try to get back in the win column Sunday when it faces the Jaguars at TIAA Stadium in Jacksonville. Kickoff is 10 a.m. PST.
It was a bad loss last week for the Raiders, still hoping to reel off some wins to climb back to .500 and into postseason contention.
This game against the Jaguars is basically a make-or-break type of matchup for the Raiders.
The Raiders must get contributions from every player who sees action, but Raiders coach Josh McDaniels also needs to put his players in the best position to succeed against Jacksonville.
That hasn’t been the case for much of this season.
Derek Carr is coming off a season-low 101 passing yards. He also needs to rev it up for the Raiders and put together a solid game, but still has to rely on McDaniels calling plays that will benefit the quarterback and the rest of the offensive group.
“I think the ultimate deal, relative to changing everything that was said in the huddle to something else, ultimately comes down to the comfort level of the players and where they’re at in their overall understanding of how to communicate that and when we know that all 11 guys could get it,” McDaniels said Friday.
“Have we had to do that a lot this year? Not really. And that’s the goal is that we don’t have to do it. Hopefully we try to put them in position to maybe have an opportunity to do some things that are pretty good. But every once in a while, that’s necessary, and our quarterback certainly has the autonomy to do that. Again, most importantly, our offense would need to be able to handle it also as a group.”
Raiders running back Josh Jacobs is capable of putting up solid numbers again after he saw his streak of at least three straight games with 140-plus rushing yards halted last week against the Saints.
On defense, Maxx Crosby has been consistent, but not so much defensive end Chandler Jones, who’s been mostly a nonfactor for the first eight weeks of the season.
A disruptive Jones is what the Raiders need, both in the terms of producing sacks and possibly creating a turnover.
Injury report
Raiders TE Darren Waller (hamstring), LB Divine Deablo (back/write) and DT Neil Farrell (knee) are listed as questionable.
Jaguars WR Jamal Agnew (knee) is questionable.
Line and over/under
The Raiders are 1.5-point favorites by FanDuel SportsBook. The over/under is at 47.5.
How to watch on TV
The game will be shown on CBS and can be streamed on all CBS apps.
Analysis
How will the Raiders respond after a poor showing last week? ... There will be a sense of urgency to get off to a fast start and that’s needed against the Jaguars, who haven’t fared well either. ... Instead of traveling back to Las Vegas after the Saints game, the Raiders spent a week in Sarasota, Florida. Maybe a little team bonding in the Sunshine State is what the Raiders need to overcome their struggles. ... The Raiders defense must pressure Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence. Las Vegas had just two pressures in last week’s loss. That needs to change, as well as creating more turnovers. .... Offense? Points are needed, but what will McDaniels draw up? ... Another blowout loss? The Bee doesn’t see that. Let’s call for a Raiders rebound, even if the final score is close.
Prediction: Raiders 24, Jaguars 20
