The Raiders need to catch their breath.
asserted
Raiders → need → breath
Josh Allen is coming to take it away.
asserted
Allen → come → it
A week after Drake Maye and the Patriots exposed their defense, the Raiders welcome a quarterback who can punish their mistakes and turn otherwise sound defensive possessions into exhausting exercises in frustration.
asserted
who → expose → frustration
Cover his receivers and Allen can run.
asserted
Allen → cover → receivers
Pressure him without keeping him contained and he can escape.
asserted
he → pressure → him
Commit too many defenders to stopping his legs and he can throw over their heads.
asserted
he → commit → heads
For a team trying to stop a two-game losing streak, Sunday at Allegiant Stadium presents arguably Las Vegas’ most daunting challenge yet.
asserted
Sunday → try → challenge
The Bills arrive at 4-1 after a 37-34 overtime victory over the Rams on Monday night.
asserted
Bills → arrive → night
Allen rushed for 121 yards, while running back James Cook added 111.
asserted
Cook → rush → 111
Together, they scored three rushing touchdowns, offering another reminder that defending Buffalo requires much more than disrupting its passing game.
asserted
defending → score → game
That is an uncomfortable assignment for a Raiders defense coming off its worst performance of the season.
asserted
That → come → season
New England piled up 536 yards in a 45-17 victory, with Maye accounting for five touchdowns.
asserted
Maye → pile → touchdowns
The Raiders cannot afford another afternoon of missed assignments, poor pursuit angles and receivers running behind their secondary.
asserted
Raiders → afford → secondary
Against Allen, those breakdowns can quickly turn a competitive game into a long afternoon.
asserted
breakdowns → turn → afternoon
The challenge begins with discipline.
asserted
challenge → begin → discipline
Maxx Crosby and the Raiders’ pass rush must affect Allen without creating escape routes.
asserted
Crosby → affect → routes
Interior defenders have to maintain their rush lanes.
asserted
defenders → have → lanes
The secondary must stay attached to receivers when Allen extends plays, resisting the temptation to abandon coverage as he moves toward the line of scrimmage.
Getting him to third down is only part of the job.
asserted
Getting → stay → job
Finishing the possession is where the real work begins.
asserted
work → finish → possession
Defensive coordinator Rob Leonard also must account for Cook, whose presence makes loading up against Allen a dangerous proposition.
asserted
loading → account → Allen
If Buffalo establishes its conventional running game, the Raiders will face an even more difficult guessing game on early downs.
asserted
Raiders → establish → downs
But this cannot become an assignment the Raiders leave entirely to their defense.
asserted
Raiders → become → defense
Their offense has to help.
asserted
offense → have → ?
Coach Klint Kubiak needs a running game that creates manageable situations, a passing attack that finds contributions beyond Brock Bowers and possessions that end with points.
asserted
that → need → points
Kirk Cousins cannot repeatedly be asked to rescue drives after unproductive early downs.
asserted
Cousins → ask → downs
Nor can the Raiders expect field goals to keep pace if Allen begins stacking touchdowns.
Buffalo is hardly invulnerable.
asserted
Buffalo → expect → touchdowns
The Rams scored 34 points Monday, and the Raiders should view that as evidence that opportunities will be available.
asserted
opportunities → score → evidence
But opportunities mean little if penalties, protection breakdowns or missed throws squander them.
asserted
penalties → mean → them
The Raiders’ 3-0 start created optimism.
asserted
start → create → optimism
Two straight losses have supplied perspective.
asserted
losses → supply → perspective
Sunday offers a chance to show they can respond to adversity with something more substantial than promises to correct their mistakes.
asserted
they → offer → mistakes
They do not need to play scared of Allen.
asserted
They → need → Allen
They do need to understand that beating him requires disciplined football long after the initial play appears to be over.
asserted
play → need → football
Brady can make Leonard defend the entire field while accounting for an extra runner in Allen.
asserted
Leonard → make → Allen
The challenge is deciding where to commit help without making the next answer obvious.
asserted
answer → decide → help
Bring a safety toward the line to support the run and Buffalo can attack the space behind him.
asserted
Buffalo → bring → him
Play lighter boxes to protect the secondary and Cook can become the centerpiece.
asserted
Cook → play → secondary
Leonard should mix his looks, disguise coverage and choose pressure carefully rather than repeatedly leaving young defensive backs isolated.
asserted
Leonard → mix → backs
Brady, meanwhile, will look to force hesitation through formation changes and misdirection.
asserted
Brady → look → changes
The Raiders need to make Allen work through crowded pictures without becoming so complicated that they create confusion within their own defense.
asserted
they → need → defense
…and 11 more, not listed.
The Aporia
