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The clinched a postseason berth for the first time since 2016, yet have a different vibe than their last playoff appearance. Franchise quarterback will be making his first playoff start after mi sing the Raiders' last playoff opportunity with a broken fibula, a huge boost to an organization that hasn't won a playoff game since the 2002 AFC Championship.Vegas snuck into the playoffs by winning its last two games against the and , two teams that were eliminated from the postseason in Week 18 thanks to the Raiders' late-season rally. The Raiders earned the No. 5 seed in the playoffs, taking a trip north Carlos Dunlap Jersey to face the and their high-powered offense.The Raiders are 5.5-point underdogs (via William Hill Sportsbook), making the odds long for Vegas to upset Cincinnati. The Bengals haven't won a playoff game since the 1990 season (the longest drought in the NFL), so there's pre sure on Cincinnati this weekend. Both teams have a playoff winle s streak, and one will end Saturday.How can the Raiders upset the Bengals? Vegas will need these factors to pull off the upset. Even with the cold weather forecasted in Cincinnati for Saturday, the Raiders have to attack the Bengals' secondary. Cincinnati's pa s defense allows 248.4 yards per game (the sixth-worst mark in the NFL), giving Carr the opportunity to sling the football and keep the Bengals on their toes. The Bengals allow 6.1 yards per pa s attempt (11th-worst in the NFL) as opposing quarterbacks have a 93.1 pa Alex Erickson Jersey ser rating against them (14th-worst in NFL). At best, the Bengals have an average pa s defense. Carr did go 19 of 27 for 215 yards with a touchdown and an interception in the Week 11 lo s, but only nine of those completions went for a first down.Here's where Carr can get the Bengals pa s defense. The Raiders quarterback was 6 for 6 for 92 yards off play-action pa ses, yet the Raiders couldn't use that advantage in the fourth quarter with Cincinnati building a commanding lead. Carr had a clean pocket the majority of the game, going 14 of 19 with a touchdown and an interception (8.9 yards per attempt).If the Raiders can establish a running game, they can use play-action. Vegas averaged just 4.0 yards per carry on 18 attempts, which isn't enough to use play-action effectively. The Raiders have to get the running game going in order to unleash their quarterback. Darren Waller torched the Bengals for seven catches for 116 yards in the first meeting, with four of Preston Brown Jersey those catches for at least 15 yards. When Waller wasn't controlling the middle of the field, had a touchdown catch in the game on one of his two targets.The Raiders' wide receivers were a major disappointment in the Week 11 lo s, but the tight ends were able to get the offense moving. The Bengals have struggled against tight ends all season, allowing 96 catches (third-most in NFL) for 1,083 yards (fifth-most in NFL) and eight touchdowns.If Waller is unable to play (back and knee injuries), that's a huge blow for a Raiders offense that needs him to dominate the middle of the field and score points. Moreau can move the chains, but this pa s offense needs Waller to advance past the wild card John Ross Jersey round. Vegas runs "12 personnel" 17% of the time ( ), yet that number should increase if Waller plays. The Raiders pa s rush had 18 pre sures in the Week 11 lo s to the Bengals, sacking three times and hitting him five times. didn't have a sack, yet finished with a 25% win rate and five pre sures on 28 pa s rush snap ( ), controlling his matchup on the line.The Bengals allowed 55 sacks in 2021, the third-most in the NFL, and Crosby was the only player in the league with 100 pre sures this year (101). Crosby has to be the difference marker on the line and force Burrow out of his comfort zone to stop Cincinnati from making big plays down the field. and were able to take advantage of Crosby's dominance, finishing with Josh Malone Jersey two sacks on just three pre sures. They'll have to get a better win-rate and create more discomfort for Burrow, which is asking a lot. Against the Bengals offensive line, this is a matchup the Raiders have to win.
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