Sunday Night – Oakland Raiders at Washington Redskins

Two years ago, we would have laughed at the thought of these squads going head to head on Sunday Night Football. This year, we’re looking at a pair contenders who are a lock to compete for their division titles. What a difference two years makes. Quarterback play has been the difference for both of these franchises with the emergence of Derek Carr and Kirk Cousins. Neither was a top-flight prospect coming out of college but both have developed into starters and arguably top 10 QBs.

Keys to the Game
Raiders
Score, score, score. To be blunt, I don’t think Washington can keep up with the Raider offense in this one. Between Carr, Amari Cooper, Michael Crabtree and the addition of Marshawn Lynch, Oakland has one of the best offenses in the NFL and will be tough for any team to stop — let alone a team with a soft defense. If the Raiders can establish the run with Marshawn early, they’ll be able to crush the Skins by going over the top to Cooper and Crabtree down the field all day long.

Redskins
It’s going to be an uphill battle for Washington, but they’ve made it a habit of coming out on top, somehow, some way. The key for them will be a bend but don’t break defense. Oakland is going to rack up yards and put points on the board, there’s no way around that, but if Washington can limit the big plays and force a few field goals, they’ll be right in this one. Keeping it close will let Cousins work his magic and make some plays down the stretch to get the Skins in the endzone and earn a Sunday night win at home.