3 Things Jacksonville must do to win against Oakland in Week 7

The Oakland Raiders (4-2) will travel to Jacksonville to take on the Jaguars in Week 7, in a game that many thought would feature two of the league’s upstart-franchises in 2016. The Raiders, obviously, have been enjoying a successful season, sitting pretty in 1st place in the AFC West. Jacksonville have yet to enjoy the same success. They’ve won two straight, but as many would agree, the season has been a disappointment thus far.

But fortunately for the Jaguars, they still have a lot of football left. They are favored by 1.5 points against Oakland in Week 7, but many pundits are still picking the Raiders to win outright. Here’s what Jacksonville needs to do to win against Oakland:

1. Run the ball effectively

For me, this is Jacksonville’s most-important key to victory on Sunday. If the offense is unable to play with balance, a semi-equal distribution of running the ball and passing the ball, I don’t think they have a good chance of winning. Through six weeks, Blake Bortles has simply not been good. Average at best, I would say. If Bortles has to throw 40 times a game, I don’t like Jacksonville’s odds. Fortunately for them, Oakland ranks as one of the worst rush defenses in the NFL. When Jacksonville faced Indianapolis in Week 4, another porous rush defense, they were able to put together their best offensive output of the season via an effective balance of rush-pass. More importantly, they were in control for the majority of that game (before the defense imploded in the 4th quarter). If they’re able to run effectively on Sunday, they’ll have a chance to win.

2. Pressure David Carr

Raiders quarterback David Carr has been playing remarkably well thus far, and a portion of his success should be accredited to the play of his offensive line. Oakland leads the league in terms of sack allowed offensively, with only seven. Jacksonville’s young front-seven will have their hands full trying to get to Carr, especially since they only rank 13th in sacks in 2016. A general recipe for success defensively is to rush the passer effectively, in purpose to take the pressure off the secondary. This game will be no different.

3. Limit turnovers offensively

As stated earlier, Bortles has struggled in various categories this season. Pocket presence, accuracy, mechanics, and footwork have all regressed since last season. When those things occur, turnovers happen. And so far, they have. Bortles is tied with Dolphins quarterback Ryan Tannehill in turnovers, with 7, which ranks as the 4th-worst across the NFL.

I would like to see Bortles utilize his athletic ability more. When plays broke down against the Colts, Bortles would run instead of trying to force a throw into tight coverage. I’d like to see that return against Oakland.

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