The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are looking for their second major win in a row against the Oakland Raiders. This team won’t be a pushover.
The Las Vegas Raiders have been a punching bag in the AFC West for the past few seasons. The Raiders have been inconsistent and struggled with the better teams for a while, and during any of the previous seasons, this matchup would be very easy for the Buccaneers.
Unfortunately for Tampa Bay, this Raiders team has shown up for the 2020 season, and they could be one of the toughest matchups on the schedule.
This season, the Raiders are three and two, but it is an extremely strong three and two. With wins against the Saints and the Chiefs, Las Vegas has two of the most impressive single wins on the year. The Saints and the Chiefs are two of the best teams in their divisions, and the Raiders have shown that their ceiling is as high as any other team in the league.
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The best thing going for the Raiders is their balance. Derek Carr never receives a ton of positive press, but he is remarkably consistent and is putting together one of the best seasons of his career. Vegas also has one of the top running backs in Josh Jacobs to go along with a rising defense.
The Raiders aren’t masters of one aspect of the game, but they are good at almost everything. Jon Gruden is taking the Raiders back to a place of relevance each season, and this roster can’t be overlooked.
The good news for Tampa Bay is that they match up well. The Buccaneer run defense should be ready for Jacobs if the previous games are any indication. The secondary has the depth to keep most of the Raider receivers quiet, but this will be more of a test than most fans expect.
The Buccaneers have an opportunity to make a statement with a win in this game. The Bucs will have to play a complete game to pull out a win, but success here will show that Tampa Bay deserves the hype they’re starting to garner.