Ok, enough with the doom and gloom for a minute. We know the Raiders have a tough matchup against the Bills on Sunday. But right now we're gonna talk about those areas where there is some optimism.
1. Quick turnaround for the Bills
This may seem like grasping at straws here, but the Raiders need every advantage they can get. And short weeks are a real thing. The Bills played in LA Monday night. And it was a grueling game, that went into overtime. Then they got on a very late flight back to Buffalo, not getting in until Tuesday morning. Then they turned right around and hit the practice field the next day. Then, four days after they got off a long flight, they get back on a plane and fly out west again to play in Las Vegas. The Raiders won’t be getting the Bills at their absolute best.
2. Bills terrible defense
While we know the Bills offense is the best in the league, their defense isn’t helping them out. In particular their pass defense, which is nearly the worst in the league almost every statistical category. If the Raiders offense can return to previous form from their first four games, and the offense trips up a little bit, they could have a shot.
3. Turnovers
Speaking of the offense tripping up…James Cook has fumbled four times this season already, including two in the Monday night game in LA. The second fumble should have lost them the game, if not for a blocked field goal in OT. The Bills have a -4 turnover ratio, which is among the worst in the league and have turned the ball over nine times. Only five teams have turned the ball over more than that this season. Two of those are teams the Raiders beat. By contrast, the Raiders have 10 takeaways and only one team in the league has more – the Seattle Seahawks.
See the causes for concern for Raiders vs Bills
This article originally appeared on Raiders Wire: 3 reasons for optimism for Raiders vs Bills Week 6