The Raiders have lost two games in a row by a combined score of 68-20!  But they did beat the Chargers in Oakland earlier this year, 35-27.  The Chargers are super hot right now as they have won four games in a row by a combined score of 133-76!  Here is a look at the matchups in this game:

When the Raiders have the ball:  The Raiders would like to get the running game going once again with Darren McFadden & Michael Bush but it won’t be easy as the Chargers are only allowing 81.1 yards rushing per game and 3.5 yards per carry.  The Chargers have 33 sacks already this year while the Raiders’ QBs have also been sacked 33 times.  That means that Jason Campbell might not have a lot of time to throw the ball.  That is going to be too bad because he might be able to make some plays down the field to speedy WRs Louis Murphy & Jacoby Ford if he has time to chuck the ball.

When the Chargers have the ball:  The Chargers are an offensive machine as they are averaging 407.5 yards per game so far this year.  The Chargers will likely hand the ball off to Mike Tolbert a little more than usual in this game against a Raiders’ D that is allowing 133.7 yards rushing per game and 4.4 yards per carry.  But make no mistake, Philip Rivers is going to come after the Raiders’ secondary through the air.  With Antonio Gates and Malcolm Floyd likely back in action it could be a long day for the Raiders’ D if they can’t get to Rivers.

PREDICTION:  CHARGERS 34, RAIDERS 13

The Raiders got punished last weekend in Pittsburgh 35-3 but a return to the Black Hole could be just what the doctor ordered.  The Raiders are 4-1 in Oakland.  The Dolphins travel well as they are 4-1 on the road and they will have Chad Henne back under center.  Here is a look at the matchups in this game:

When the Raiders have the ball:  I look for the Raiders to get back to running the ball with Darren McFadden & Michael Bush against a Fins’ D that is allowing 112.7 yards rushing per game and 3.9 yards per carry.  The Raiders hope the running game gets going because Jason Campbell did not play too well last weekend.  Hopefully the Raiders can take some play-action shots deep to their speedy receivers but that all hinges on the running game.

When the Dolphins have the ball:  The Dolphins have QB Chad Henne back but they won’t have their top WR in Brandon Marshall whose going to miss this game with a hamstring injury.  The Dolphins will probably run the ball with Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams while throwing the ball short to Brian Hartline and Davone Bess.  Also look for them to turn to the Wildcat Formation at some point in the game.

PREDICTION:  RAIDERS 20, DOLPHINS 17

This is a game between two teams going in opposite directions.  The Raiders have won three games in a row by a combined score of an amazing 115-37!  They are also well rested and prepared coming off their bye week.  The Steelers have lost 2 of their last three games by a combined score of 80-63.  The Raiders beat the Steelers last season at Heinz Field and they will try to do it again this Sunday.  Here is a look at the matchups in this game:

When the Raiders have the ball:  The Raiders are averaging 162.2 yards rushing per game (4.9 ypc) while the Steelers are only allowing 63.2 yards rushing per game (2.8 yards per carry.  The Raiders are still going to give the rock to Darren McFadden a lot in this game to keep the Steelers’ pass rush honest.  Don’t think for a minute that the Raiders aren’t going to attack the Steelers down the field as they are allowing 252.2 yards passing per game.  The Steelers had problems with the TEs of the Patriots last week so look for Zach Miller to have a big game.  The Steelers’ corners really stink this year and the Raiders have two of the fastest WRs in the NFL in Jacoby Ford & Louis Murphy.

When the Steelers have the ball:  With the offensive line in shambles the Steelers would be better off to run the ball a lot in this game with Rashard Mendenhall against a Raiders’ D allowing 124.8 yards rushing per game (4.5 ypc).  The Raiders have 27 sacks this year and they are going to get into the grill of Ben Roethlisberger.  He’s definitely not going to have all day to throw so Mike Wallace, Hines Ward and Heath Miller are going to have to catch short passes and take hits this weekend.

PREDICTION:  RAIDERS 24, STEELERS 20

The Raiders have won two games in a row by a combined score of 92-17!  They have also been solid in the Black Hole this year where they are 3-1 having outscored the opposition 108-75.  The Chiefs have also won two games in a row but they are not a good road team.  They are 1-2 on the road this year and they have been outscored 68-56 there.  Here is a look at the matchups in this game:

When the Raiders have the ball:  The Raiders are going to tighten up the chinstraps and try to punch the Chiefs in the mouth.  Look for Darren McFadden, Michael Bush and Marcel Reece to get a lot of work against a Chiefs’ D that is allowing only 96.4 yards rushing per game and 3.8 yards per carry.  The Chiefs are giving up 236.3 yards passing per game so look for Jason Campbell to take some deep shots off of playaction tomorrow.

When the Chiefs have the ball:  The Raiders need to cheat the safeties into the box as the Chiefs are averaging 190.4 yards rushing per game and 5.2 yards per carry.  Jamaal Charles & Thomas Jones are going to attack the Raiders’ D all day long.  The Chiefs’ passing game pretty much runs off playaction so both teams are going to have very similar game plans tomorrow.

PREDICTION:  RAIDERS 27, CHIEFS 17

The Raiders punished the Broncos 59-14 on the road last weekend.  I don’t think they will have a let down though as the Raiders are playing well in the Black Hole this year.  They are 2-1 at home this season but they have only outscored the opposition 75-72.  The Seahawks have won 2 games in a row but they have been poor on the road this year.  The Seahawks are 1-2 on the road this year and they have been outscored 71-40.  Here is a look at the matchups in this game:

When the Raiders have the ball:  The Raiders are a running team and that’s what they are going to come out trying to do.  Darren McFadden & Michael Bush will likely get a lot of carries against a Seahawks’ D that is only allowing 77.5 yards rushing per game and 3.3 yards per carry.  The Seahawks are giving up 261.3 yards passing per game but it will be hard for Jason Campbell to get much going in the air with Louis Murphy out of action.  Rookie Jacoby Ford is going to start in Murphy’s place giving the Raiders probably the fastest duo of starting WRs in the NFL (Darrius Heyward-Bey being the other).  It doesn’t matter how fast you are though if you can’t catch the ball.  Look for TE Zach Miller to have a big game for the Raiders tomorrow.

When the Seahawks have the ball:  The Seahawks are going to also come out running the ball with Marshawn Lynch & Justin Forsett against a Raiders’ D that is allowing 138.9 yards rushing and 5.0 yards per carry.  The Raiders’ pass defense isn’t that good either as opposing QBs have a 95.0 Rating against them.  Matt Hasselbeck will be aiming for WRs Mike Williams, Deon Butler and TE John Carlson a lot in the passing game tomorrow.

PREDICTION:  RAIDERS 20, SEAHAWKS 17

The Raiders & Broncos both need this game big time.  The AFC West is really week this year as the Chiefs are leading the division with a 3-2 record.  Here is a look at the matchups in this game:

When the Raiders have the ball:  With the way Jason Campbell played last weekend it would be very smart of the Raiders to come out running the ball tomorrow.  Darren McFadden (likely back from injury) and Michael Bush will take aim at a Broncos’ D that is allowing 127.7 yards rushing and 4.4 yards per carry.  The Broncos only have 7 sacks so far this year so Jason Campbell might actually have time to throw the ball in this game.  The Broncos have a soft pass defense so I look for Campbell to take a couple deep shots to Louis Murphy and Darrius Heyward-Bey and pounding the ball short ot TE Zach Miller.

When the Broncos have the ball:  The Broncos would love to be able to move the ball on the ground some with Knowshon Moreno against a Raiders’ D that is allowing 149.5 yards rushing and 5.0 yards per carry so far this year.  The Broncos might also run their version of the Wildcat Formation with Tim Tebow under center as it was effective last weekend.  The Raiders have given up 12 TD passes and have only 2 INTs this year so look for Kyle Orton to throw the ball down the field quite a few times in this game as long as he has time to throw.

PREDICTION:  BRONCOS 27, RAIDERS 16

The Oakland Raiders played a good game last week capitalizing on mistakes that the Chargers made to win the game.  The 49ers are a team that makes a lot of mistakes.  That is the backdrop of the “Battle of the Bay” this Sunday in San Francisco.  Here is a look at the matchups in this game:

When the Raiders have the ball:  With Darren McFadden (hamstring) likely to miss another game for the Raiders look for Michael Bush to carry the load in the running game.  Bush is a bruising type back and he will likely meet up with LB Patrick Willis in some high impact collisions.  The Niners are giving up 111.4 yards rushing per game and 3.9 yards per carry so Bush should get his fair share of yards but they won’t be easy ones.  Jason Campbell will have to start getting rid of the ball a lot quicker as he has been sacked 9 times already this year despite only attempting 70 passes.  Look for Campbell to throw a lot of short shots to TE Zach Miller before going over the top to WR Louis Murphy.

When the 49ers have the ball:  The Raiders are allowing 147.8 yards rushing and 5.0 yards per carry so look for Frank Gore to get all of the carries that his body can handle.  Opposing QBs have a 101.2 Rating against the Raiders this year so maybe this is the week that Alex Smith and his WRs break out.  Smith has already thrown 9 pickoffs this year and he has been sacked 10 times.  If he has time to throw the ball he should look down the field to WRs Michael Crabtree, Josh Morgan and Ted Ginn.  If the Niners don’t stretch the field the Raiders will creep up and try to shut down TE Vernon Davis and Frank Gore.

PREDICTION:  RAIDERS 23, 49ERS 20

The Chargers swept the Raiders by a combined score of 48-36 last season so the Raiders were right in both games.  The Raiders could easily be 2-2 or 3-1 on the year so this game is not a mis-match by any stretch of the imagination.  Here is a look at the matchups in this game:

When the Raiders have the ball:  Michael Bush will take over for the injured Darren McFadden.  The Raiders would be smart to give Bush at least 20 carries tomorrow to attempt to keep the Chargers offense off the field.  Bruce Gradkowski will have to be careful throwing the ball against a Chargers’ D that has 15 sacks and 7 interceptions.  Gradkowski will likely have to keep the passing game short so Zach Miller could have a huge game for them.  Louis Murphy and Darrius Heyward-Bey will have to make tough catches over the middle if the Raiders are going to pull an upset tomorrow.

When the Chargers have the ball:  The Chargers are capable of pounding away against a Raiders’ run defense which is allowing 162.0 yards rushing and 5.3 yards per carry so far this year.  Ryan Mathews and Mike Tolbert will carry the load on the ground for the Chargers in this game.  Make no mistake though, Philip Rivers and his boys will be throwing the ball a lot in this game.  Malcolm Floyd, Legedu Naanee, Buster Davis and Antonio Gates give him a lot of quality targets to take aim at.

PREDICTION:  CHARGERS 24, RAIDERS 13

Both of these teams are coming off disappointing losses.  But this game is in the Black Hole so maybe the Raiders will dial up the intensity in this ballgame.  Here is a look at the match-ups in this game:

When the Raiders have the ball:  Darren McFadden is off to a excellent start for the Raiders this year but I see him carrying the ball a little less than he has been against a Texans’ D that is allowing only 54.3 yards per game and 3.0 yards per carry.  The real reason I don’t see McFadden getting the ball as much as usual is because the Texans’ are giving up 368.7 yards passing per game and opposing QBs have a 115.6 rating against them so far.  For the Raiders to be able to attack the Texans’ secondary they are going to need to keep DE Mario Williams away from Bruce Gradkowski and that likely will be easier said than done.  If Gradkowski faces a big rush look for TE Zach Miller and RB Darren McFadden to get a lot of throws.  But, if he has time to throw the ball look for him to take shots down the field to Louis Murphy and Darrius Heyward-Bey.

When the Texans have the ball:  The Raiders have to go all out to stop RB Arian Foster who already has 502 yards rushing & receiving so far this year.  The Raiders will also likely blitz a lot on passing downs hoping to get to Matt Schaub before he can throw the ball to his talented cast of WRs and TEs. 

PREDICTION: TEXANS 30, RAIDERS 27

The Raiders and Cardinals look a lot alike going into this game.  Both of them have a close win and a blowout loss this year.  Here is a look at the matchups in this game:

When the Raiders have the ball:  The Raiders are going to hit the ground running against a Cardinals’ D that is allowing 153.0 yards rushing per game and 4.4 ypc so far this year.  Darren McFadden will likely get a ton of carries this Sunday and he should have a lot of success.  Bruce Gradkowski is getting the start at QB this week for the Raiders.  He doesn’t have a big arm but he battles every week.  The Raiders will still try to throw deep to Darrius Heyward-Bey and Louis Murphy despite Gradkowski’s weak arm.  He will also try to get the ball out quick to TE Zach Miller and RB Darren McFadden this week.

When the Cardinals have the ball:  The Cardinals might run the ball more than usual in this game as the Raiders are giving up 140.0 yards rushing per game and 4.7 ypc.  With Tim Hightower running well and Beanie Wells back it makes sense to keep the ball on the ground.  Derek Anderson will still take some shots to Larry Fitzgerald and Steve Breaston but he has to be careful because Raiders CB Nnamdi Asomugha will be roaming around looking to pick him off.

PREDICTION:  RAIDERS 21, CARDINALS 17