Oakland Raiders: 3 Bold predictions vs. Lions, Week 9
By Steve Rivera
The Oakland Raiders return home to begin a three-game home-stand. First up is quarterback Matthew Stafford and the Detroit Lions in Week 9.
After what seems like forever — or Week 3 to be exact — the Oakland Raiders return from a long and winding road that included consecutive stops in Minnesota, Indianapolis, London, Green Bay and Houston. Now, finally back in Oakland, they can begin to erase a two-game losing skid.
At 3-4, the Raiders find themselves in a pretty advantageous position given the November slate. Week 9 has them playing an average Detroit Lions team with a 3-3-1 record. As usual, the Lions are stuck in that mediocre place fans in the Motor City are accustomed to. For Oakland, that is welcome news.
After two tough losses to the Packers and the Texans, the predictable play of quarterback Matthew Stafford will be a stark contrast to Aaron Rodgers and Deshaun Watson. It’s also the first of four November games wiener the Raiders will face a string of average quarterbacks that includes an aging Philip Rivers, a rookie in Ryan Finley and second-year man Sam Darnold.
With three of the next four games at home, Oakland has a big opportunity to string together some much-needed wins. The Raiders are still in second place in what is shaping up to be a weak division. With Kansas City still the odds on favorite to win the AFC West, Oakland might still have a shot to be a dark horse playoff contender.
Let’s break into some bold predictions for the Oakland Raiders in the Week 9 matchup against the Lions.