Oakland Raiders: Five Things That Must Happen Against New England

Control The Clock

Some believe that the best defense is a good offense. And in this case, it’s certainly true. The best way to beat New England is to severely limit the time Brady and the offense are on the field.

That means, the Raiders are going to need to find a way to extend drives, keep the chains moving, and keep New England’s offense on the sidelines. It’s something this Raiders offense hasn’t exactly been the best at this season.

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Through nine games, Oakland’s average drive lasts just over two and a half minutes and just under six plays. Their third down conversion rate is a tick over 40 percent (40/109) – a conversion rate that puts them in the middle of the pack league ranking-wise.

Conversely, Oakland’s opponents are able to hold on to the ball for an average of just over three minutes per drive, running a bit over six plays. Even more troublesome is the fact that Oakland’s defense is giving up a nearly 46 percent third-down conversion rate – which puts them squarely near the bottom of the league in that metric.

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Yet another metric that should have all Raider fans raising their eyebrows though, is the fact that under Downing, this offense is on the field a whole lot less. And it’s not like they’re running four play drives and scoring. No, this offense just can’t seem to move the chains.

Last season, under Musgrave, Oakland’s offense was running roughly 66 offensive plays per game, putting them in the top-ten in that metric. This year though, they’re averaging a tick under 58 plays per game – which ranks them thirty-first in the league.

New England, incidentally, is leading the league, running nearly a Gronk-approved 69 offensive plays per contest.

To win the game, the Raiders are going to need to flip the script on that metric. They’re going to need to extend drives, run more offensive plays, and eat up the clock. And at the same time, the defense will need to limit the number of plays the Patriots run and the time their offense has on the field.