After taking an early 7-0 lead, the Oakland Raiders just couldn't withstand the barrage of 27 unanswered points from the Buffalo Bills, eventually falling to Tyrod Taylor and Co., 34-14 at New Era Field.
With the loss, the Silver and Black are now two games under .500, and they'll need to return to the winner's circle in short order, and they'll have their next opportunity to do just that this Sunday, in primetime, against the Miami Dolphins.
While the Fins have won three of their past four, they were on the receiving end of a 40-0 smackdown at the hands of the Baltimore Ravens last time they took the field, and they've also just traded their leading rusher, running back Jay Ajayi.
Quarterback Derek Carr has now thrown for over 300 yards in back-to-back games, and the Raiders offense has shown glimpses of what it's capable of, even though they're still ranked No. 20 in the NFL.
However, No. 4 and the rest of the Raiders offense will certainly have its hands full, as they square off against a Dolphins defense that is tough against the pass, allowing just 210.9 yards per game through the air. Defensive Coordinator Matt Burke's group plays the run very well too (95.4 YPG), so keep an eye on how Todd Downing elects to get after the Dolphins.
As far as the Miami offense is concerned; well, they've had their struggles. The group is currently ranked No. 32 in total offense (252.4 YPG), and to be honest, they haven't really been able to get anything going consistently either on the ground, or through the air.
Ken Norton, Jr.'s group will certainly have its chances to make some plays, and force turnovers against the Dolphins offense, so I'm excited to see if they can convert on those opportunities.
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.
