After going winless for a month, the Oakland Raiders are back in the win column.
On Thursday Night Football, the Silver and Black hosted the Kansas City Chiefs in what would be a primetime matchup for the ages. Entering the game the Raiders held a record of 2-4, and needed a win to keep their season alive.
Down six points, and with no time left on the clock, Raiders quarterback Derek Carr had one chance to try and defeat the Chiefs. Upon the snap, No. 4 rolled left and threw a pass to wide receiver Michael Crabtree in the corner of the end zone, which seemed to rotate through the air in slow motion, as all of the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum held its breath. Fortunately, Crabtree was able to haul in the game-tying touchdown, and kicker Giorgio Tavecchio was able to seal the 31-30 victory with the point after attempt.
Prior to the Week 7 matchup, the Raiders offense was ranked 30th in the league, but due to an aerial attack led by Carr, which featured 417 yards through the air, the team has moved up in this week's rankings.
When the Raiders step on the gridiron at New Era Field to battle the Buffalo Bills this Sunday, the offense will rank 22nd in total yards (310.7). While the ground game has not yet cracked the top half of the league, , it's finding ways to be productive, as the team averages 92.9 yards per game (24th). To complement the rushing attack, the Raiders are also finding ways to get the job done through the air.
The Bills are currently giving up 258.7 yards per game (26th) when defending the pass, and I expect Carr to take full advantage of that. After putting up big numbers in Week 7, and being nominated for the FedEx Air & Ground Player of the Week, don't forget to vote for Derek Carr. With another important game looming, let's see how the rest of the FedEx Air & Ground Matchup Report breaks down.
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.
