It’s been an incredible season for the Raiders thus far, and there’s been plenty for the team to rally around. The campaign started with two division games, followed by a five-game road trip and a three-game homestand.

The Raiders’ current task, a trip to New York to face the 3-7 Jets, is downright mundane in comparison.

Nevertheless, the Raiders must resurrect their road mentality and hand their old AFL foe yet another loss if they’re to improve their own record to 7-4. Here are the players to watch as Oakland attempts to keep the playoffs within reach.

LB Tahir Whitehead

Speaking of un-alluring, the first selection on this list may fit that category. But not so fast. Linebacker Tahir Whitehead deserves some recognition for holding the Raiders defense together after the suspension of starting middle linebacker Vontaze Burfict.

He never leaves the field, routinely playing every defensive snap, and he’s rewarded the Raiders by leading the team in tackles. Whitehead’s had trouble when isolated on pass defense, but the guy plays hard each play, with an intensity that’s alone worth watching.

For example, his emotion manifested in the form of a karate chop against his old team, the Lions, just a few weeks ago.

Tahir Whitehead karate-chops Kenny Golladay for no reason. No penalty. pic.twitter.com/ihgUx3Fi6t

— Main Team (@MainTeamSports) November 3, 2019

This column isn’t predicting another kung fu strike of any sort. Still, watch Whitehead as he leads the defense against a Jets offense that has shown improvement lately, despite some awful stats.

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