2. Force QB Ryan Finley to win the game

The Raiders will be facing another backup quarterback this season with Ryan Finley making his first appearance at the black hole. The Bengals will want to play ball control football and will attempt to keep Finley out of tight situations and third and long passing downs. The Raiders will have to slow down Joe Mixon and force Finley to be the man to lead the Bengals to a victory.

Finley didn’t play well last week, especially when he was asked to throw the ball more than 10 air yards. His pocket presence was not much to be desired, with the fourth-round pick holding the ball too long and accumulating sacks in the process. Finley finished the day with a total QBR of 17.0 and a wretched EPA of -20.9, according to Sports Info Solutions. Finley’s limitations that made him a day three pick in the 2019 NFL draft were on full display.

If the Raiders can slow down Joe Mixon, it will be a long game for the Bengals offense. Expect the Raiders to send blitzes with zone coverage behind it to help confuse the quarterback and force him to hold the ball a little longer than he wants. The Raiders pass rush should have a field day Sunday.

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