Raiders dont need new blueprint for Bills, they need to trust theirs
The Raiders are finding out how narrow the road is between making progress and getting ahead of themselves.Three straight wins suggested they might be further along than expected.Two straight losses have offered a reminder that the distance between an encouraging start and a sustainable operation remains considerable.Now comes Buffalo, followed by the Rams, with the Raiders sitting squarely in the teeth of a schedule that leaves little room for wasted possessions, missed assignments or lapses in judgment.There is a way through it.But the Raiders must be honest about what that requires.Very few NFL teams are good enough to beat themselves and their opponents on the same Sunday.
Right now, the Raiders are nowhere near being one of them.That is a reality to manage, not a reason to abandon the progress they have made.And Sunday against the Bills at Allegiant Stadium offers an opportunity to show they understand the difference.The temptation after a 3-0 start was to begin imagining where this season might lead.The more useful exercise now is remembering what made that start possible.The Raiders gave themselves opportunities.
They created takeaways, found timely answers and stayed engaged when games threatened to slip away.They showed enough resilience to overcome trouble without letting it consume them.Those wins did not require perfection.They required the Raiders to keep doing enough of the right things to give themselves a chance.That is the blueprint they need to rediscover.Because when a team is still building its roster, learning new systems and establishing its identity, the details carry extra weight.
A penalty that an established contender might overcome can derail an entire possession.A missed assignment can expose more than one defender.
A squandered scoring opportunity can become the beginning of a game getting away.The Raiders experienced too much of that in New England.Against Buffalo, they cannot afford a repeat.Josh Allen presents enough problems with...