A little over a week ago, the Oakland Raiders embarked on their Week 9 journey to Miami, as they faced off against the Dolphins on Sunday Night Football, eventually prevailing in a three-point victory. The 27-24 win in primetime helped the Silver and Black inch closer to being .500, and the only team standing in their way of getting to 5-5 is the New England Patriots.
The matchup with the Pats isn't your conventional game, considering the two will clash in Mexico City at Estadio Azteca in an international showdown. This will be the Raiders second, consecutive season traveling south of the border, as they faced off against the Houston Texans on Monday Night Football in 2016, and pulled off a 27-20 win. In that game, Raiders quarterback Derek Carr threw for 295 yards and three touchdowns. The defense was tasked with limiting then-Texans quarterback Brock Osweiler, but in 2017 they'll face arguably the best to ever play the position in Tom Brady.
In what could turn into an aerial battle, No. 12 currently leads all quarterbacks with 2,807 passing yards, and has only thrown two interceptions this season. On the other side of the ball, the Pats are giving up the most amount of passing yards per game (287.2), and rank 32nd total yards allowed per game (408.3), which clearly favors Carr.
To open up the passing game, both teams will need to establish a rushing attack, and each features a bevy of talented backs. Through nine weeks of action, Raiders running back Marshawn Lynch leads the team in rushing yards (323), and rushing touchdowns (four), and I fully expect the team to try and establish a presence on the ground.
With that being said, take a look at the Raiders Matchup Report presented by FedEx.
Which Raiders will deliver Air & Ground worthy performances this season? Check **nfl.com/fedex** to find out, and vote for the weekly FedEx Air & Ground NFL Players of the Week all season long.
