A team on a four-game losing streak arrives at MetLife Stadium on Sunday, and the Jets have spent seven weeks proving that an opponent’s record tells you very little about their afternoon.
The Jets (2–5) host the Raiders (3–4) on Sunday, November 1 at 1:00 p.m. ET at MetLife Stadium, on FOX. Las Vegas has lost four straight. Rookie edge David Bailey, the Jets’ sack leader, did not practice Wednesday or Thursday with a groin injury.
When and where do the Jets play the Raiders in Week 8?
Sunday, November 1 at 1:00 p.m. ET at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, with FOX carrying the broadcast and Chris Myers and Jonathan Vilma in the booth. It is the Jets’ first AFC West opponent of the season and the only scheduled meeting between the two clubs. Week-by-week coverage sits on the Jets game hub.
What has gone wrong for the Raiders at 3–4?
The defense, mostly. Las Vegas ranks 29th in total defense at roughly 373.7 yards allowed per game and 29th in scoring at 28.1 points allowed. Last Sunday the Rams built a 28–3 first-half lead and won 35–21, with two Los Angeles running backs each finishing near 100 yards. The run game has gone with it: no 100-yard rushing day since a Week 3 win at New Orleans, 49 yards against the Rams, and four separate weeks under 75.
What can Las Vegas still hurt the Jets with?
Tight ends, in unusual volume. The Raiders lead the NFL in two-tight-end sets with 218 snaps of 12 personnel, 51 more than the second-place Bears, and they use three-receiver sets less than anyone. Brock Bowers, back after missing the first two games following a meniscus trim, has 455 receiving yards. Tre Tucker is the more immediate problem: he leads the team with 474 yards and has 10 catches for 200 yards and three touchdowns in the past two weeks. Scoring is not the Raiders’ issue — they average 26.1 points a game, seventh in the league.
Aaron Glenn said the Raiders have “a team with a lot of talent,” singled out Bowers as a top-level receiving tight end and called Tucker “a guy that can take the top off.” Under center is Kirk Cousins, 38, signed to a five-year deal in April; several national outlets reported this week that Klint Kubiak will keep him ahead of No. 1 overall pick Fernando Mendoza despite the skid.
Can the Jets’ pass rush function without David Bailey?
That is Sunday’s most important question, and the Jets do not have an answer yet. David Bailey, the No. 2 overall pick, leads the team with 5.5 sacks and has added seven tackles for loss, nine quarterback hits and three forced fumbles; his 31 percent run-stop win rate is fifth among edge rushers per ESPN Analytics. He did not practice Wednesday or Thursday with a groin injury, and Joseph Ossai (ankle) and T’Vondre Sweat (knee) sat out both days as well. The pass rush is this roster’s one consistently good unit — 19 sacks, top 10 in the league, 21.4 points allowed per game, 13th — and it cannot afford to lose three of the front seven at once. Status updates run through the Jets injury hub.
Where is the Jets’ offense actually working?
On the ground and on the first drive. Braelon Allen has 357 rushing and receiving yards over his four starts, second in the league behind Bucky Irving’s 378, with 13 runs of 10 or more yards in the last three games — a mark only Curtis Martin has matched for this franchise since 2000. The Jets have scored on their opening possession three weeks running, tied for the second-longest active streak in the NFL.
Omar Cooper Jr. has changed the passing game since returning in Week 6, catching balls of 52 and 60 yards against Miami. Geno Smith — a Raider last season, traded to New York in March — has 1,623 yards, 10 touchdowns and two interceptions, and his 70.0 percent completion rate is third in the league. The Jets gained 377 net yards in the 28–25 loss to Miami, their season high, and lost anyway.
Who is banged up going into Sunday?
Four Jets did not practice on either Wednesday or Thursday, and none had a game designation yet, because the club had not issued its Friday report at the time of writing. Here is the official Week 8 report through Thursday, per the Jets’ Thursday injury report.
| Pos. | Player | Injury | Wed. | Thu. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EDGE | David Bailey | Groin | DNP | DNP |
| EDGE | Joseph Ossai | Ankle | DNP | DNP |
| OL | Max Mitchell | Concussion | DNP | DNP |
| DL | T’Vondre Sweat | Knee | DNP | DNP |
| RB | Breece Hall | Quad | Limited | Limited |
| OL | Dylan Parham | Knee | Limited | Limited |
| RB | Braelon Allen | Ankle | Limited | Full |
| LB | Demario Davis | Not injury related | DNP | Full |
| DL | Harrison Phillips | Not injury related | DNP | Full |
Breece Hall (quad) and Dylan Parham (knee) were limited both days, and Allen was upgraded to full participation Thursday. Davis and Phillips were given veteran rest days. On the Las Vegas side, defensive end Patrick Johnson (stinger) and guard Jackson Powers-Johnson (back) did not practice Thursday; Folorunso Fatukasi, DJ Glaze and Ian Thomas were limited; and Bowers, Kwity Paye and Quay Walker were upgraded to full. Wide receiver Jack Bech and tight end Carter Runyon are listed as returning to practice from injured reserve.
What has to go right for the Jets?
Take the ball away and then score, which is the one thing this team has reliably done. The Jets have forced eight turnovers and scored 22 points off them, and they are the only team in the NFL that has not been scored on after a giveaway of their own — a plus-22 margin in points after turnovers, against minus-four for Las Vegas. Against a 38-year-old quarterback behind a line missing its starting center, pressure that turns into takeaways is the cleanest path to a win.
The counterweight is the calendar. Maxx Crosby needs five sacks for an eighth straight season of 7.0 or more, and he gets a Jets line that has shuffled all year. Beyond Sunday sits the November 10 deadline; our reporting on the Garrett Wilson trade rumors covers what a 2–5 record does to a front office. A home win over a team on a four-game slide changes that conversation; a loss ends it.
What time is the Jets vs. Raiders game in Week 8?
Kickoff is Sunday, November 1 at 1:00 p.m. ET at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
What channel is Jets vs. Raiders on?
FOX has the broadcast, with Chris Myers on play-by-play and Jonathan Vilma as analyst.
What are the Jets’ and Raiders’ records going into Week 8?
The Jets are 2–5 after a 28–25 home loss to Miami, and the Raiders are 3–4 on a four-game losing streak.
Is David Bailey playing against the Raiders?
Bailey (groin) did not practice Wednesday or Thursday. The Jets had not issued a game designation at the time of writing.
Who is the Raiders’ quarterback?
Kirk Cousins, who is 38. Multiple reports this week said Las Vegas will keep him as the starter against the Jets rather than turn to rookie Fernando Mendoza.
When did the Jets last play the Raiders?
On November 12, 2023, when Las Vegas won 16–12. The Raiders lead the all-time series 25–18–2.