The Las Vegas Raiders enter a pivotal three-game stretch before the trade deadline next month.
The Raiders are currently 3-3 after starting out the season 3-0. While the three-game losing streak hurts, the reality is the Raiders have been competitive in every one of those games except for their loss to the New England Patriots. They’ve faced a brutally tough schedule, narrowly losing to the undefeated Kansas City Chiefs, 30-27, while barely losing to the Buffalo Bills, 33-30.
Marcel Reese was one of the top Raiders players of the 2010s, notching four consecutive Pro Bowls (2012-2015) as a full back. He also served in an executive role as the senior vice president and senior advisor to the owner between the 2020 and 2022 seasons.
The former star player — who is speaking on behalf of online casinos — said the next three games will dictate whether or not Las Vegas is a playoff contender.
Their schedule is as follows: versus Los Angeles Rams, away against the New York Jets and on the road against the San Francisco 49ers. The 49ers are arguably the top team in the NFL as they enter Week 7 undefeated and the Rams were the Super Bowl favorites entering the season.
Reece: Next 3 Games Will Dictate Raiders’ Playoff Hopes
“The next three games will dictate it,” said Reese in a one-on-one interview with Heavy Sports. “I will say this: they’re in a really good spot because while they do have a tough three games ahead of them, they have the ability to beat all three of those teams, right? Because of the matchups that are presented, you’re looking at a Rams team that is really trying to figure themselves out because they’ve been hit with so many injuries, right? You’re looking at a 49ers team that is doing really well and playing very high level football, which they always do, but they’re also dealing with a lot of injuries as well.”
Reece: Key to Winning Games is Running Football Better
Reece said the key for the Raiders to pull off upsets over the Rams and the 49ers is to run the football better. Las Vegas will enter their Week 7 matchup against the Rams as 4.5-point underdogs and will obviously entering their November matchup against the 49ers as underdogs.
Although the offensive unit ranks sixth in the NFL in scoring and Kirk Cousins has been a pleasant surprise at quarterback, the Raiders rank 30th in rushing yards and second-to-last in yards per attempt with a 3.0 yards average. Star running back Ashton Jeanty has regressed in his second season, averaging just 3.2 yards per carry compared to 3.7 yards per carry last season.
Reece said a key for the Raiders to get back on a winning track is to start running the ball more effectively, something that he has optimism Las Vegas will be able to do as they move towards the midway point of the season.
Furthermore, the defensive unit hasn’t been much of a help, ranking 26th in the league, while allowing 27.0 points per game. That average is exactly in line with what the Raiders are averaging as an offensive unit (27.0 points per game).
We’ll see if Las Vegas is able to right the ship against a reeling Rams team that has lost its last two games, including an upset loss to the Arizona Cardinals.
This article was originally published on HEAVY
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