Oakland Raiders: The 5 Toughest Games On The Schedule
By Kevin Saito
Jan 4, 2015; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton (14) calls a play against the Indianapolis Colts during the third quarter in the 2014 AFC Wild Card playoff football game at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports
Week 1: Cincinnati Bengals
No, the Bengals are not one of the NFL’s elite teams. They’re a good squad, and one capable of making the playoffs as they have for the last few years – only to flame out in the first round, but that’s neither here nor there.
With Andy Dalton, A.J. Green, Jeremy Hill, Giovani Bernard, and the newly acquired ex-Raider Denarius Moore running the show on offense, the Bengals have a number of weapons they can utilize.
That being said, this is not an unbeatable team. Not by any stretch of the imagination.
They have a number of question marks still, most specifically on the defensive side of the ball. The Bengals have weaknesses and Del Rio should have his team ready to exploit them.
But this will also be the first live game situation that counts for the Raiders. It will be the first time they take the field under Del Rio in a game that matters. And given that it’s in front of the home crowd, the new-look Raiders are going to want to make a strong first impression.
That desire to come storming out of the gates though, is a double edged sword. The excitement of the first game of the season is undoubtedly going to have the Raiders completely jacked up. If Oakland can’t come out fired up, but able to contain their emotions, they could be in trouble. Football is an emotional game for sure, but those emotions have to be restrained and channeled into some place it matters – like helping your team win a game.
Simply put, if the Raiders come out too fired up, that could lead to bad penalties and dumb mistakes. If they can channel all of that chaotic energy into following the game plan and taking it to Cincinnati, it could be a very good debut for Del Rio’s Raiders.
Next: Week 5: Knocking Off The King