Oakland Raiders: Keys To Victory Over Detroit Lions

Aug 15, 2014; Oakland, CA, USA; General view of the line of scrimmage as Detroit Lions center Travis Swanson (64) snaps the ball against the Oakland Raiders at O.co Coliseum. The Raiders defeated the Lions 27-26. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

The Oakland Raiders are riding a two game losing streak that has seen them go from 4-3 and in control of their playoff destiny to 4-5 and in danger of slipping out of the wild card race altogether.

Even worse than the losses themselves are the nature of the last two losses. The Raiders seemed to slip into some really bad habits and paid the price for it. With time in the season beginning to become a factor, they will need to rediscover the spark that led them to some early season success.

The Raiders have a lot of work to do if they hope to claw their way back into the playoff race. And that work begins on Sunday against the 2-7 Detroit Lions. It’s a classic trap game. It would be easy for the Raiders to overlook a Lions team that is woefully underperforming and is inundated with inner turmoil. Questions are swirling around the Lions – will Matthew Stafford and/or Calvin Johnson be there next season? Will Jim Caldwell? Is there anybody left in Detroit for Martha Ford to fire?

The Lions are inundated with drama at the moment, but they also have an offense that can be explosive. Let’s also not forget, that the Lions are coming off a win over a team many considered to be led by the NFL’s best quarterback in Aaron Rodgers, and a team many picked to make a Super Bowl run.

Detroit has some players and the Raiders absolutely cannot afford to overlook them.

If the Raiders want to get back to respectability, if they want to defy the odds and shock the world by making a postseason appearance for the first time in more than a decade, they are going to need to start winning some ball games. And that winning absolutely, positively must start this Sunday in Detroit.

Here are a few keys to a Raiders victory over the Lions…

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