Titans preparing to face strong home Raiders not road woe Raiders
For the third time since this season began the Raiders find themselves sitting at .500. They sit at an even 6-6 and those wins and losses are almost evenly split home and away. They are 5-1 at home (including the “home” game in London) and 1-5 on the road. Their one home loss came against the Chiefs in week two and their one road win came in Indianapolis in week four.
Most recently they had back-to-back road games in New York and Kansas City and lost both by considerable margins.
It’s clear the Raiders are a very different team at home than they are on the road. Titans head coach Mike Vrabel understands this and knows his Titans will have to prepare to face the best the Raiders have to offer.
“We’re focused on a team that’s 4-1 at the Oakland Coliseum, a defense that gives up 20 points a game at the Oakland Coliseum, an offense that averages 360 yards at the Oakland Coliseum and a team that’s plus-four in turnover margin at home, so we’re very well aware of the success that they’ve had,” said Vrabel.
Whatever it is, whether it’s sleeping in their own beds, playing in front of their own fans, or just not hopping on a plane, the Raiders seem to play better at home.
Head coach Jon Gruden has been railing about their travel schedule all year and continues to say he thinks it has contributed to their blowout losses of late.
“We do like playing at home like everybody else,” said Gruden. “We’ve been on the road more than anybody in the history of the world now. You know 45,000 miles of travel is a joke, and it’s taken a toll on our team. I believe that.”
One thing that no one seems to be saying about the potential reasons for the wins at home and losses on the road is simply the strength of the opponent.
In their five home wins, they faced teams with a combined record of 18-41. The only team they faced with a current winning record was the Chiefs (8-4) and that was the one they lost. They were beaten pretty badly, in fact.
In their five road losses, they faced teams with a combined record of 37-23. The only teams they faced without a current winning record were the Jets (4-8) and the Colts (6-6). The Colts were the only team they beat. The Jets’ loss was just a complete inexplicable debacle.
So, perhaps it isn’t merely a home vs road situation. Perhaps the Raiders have been the same team all year and have played well when facing bad teams and played poorly when facing good ones. And the Jets.
That will be tested Sunday for sure because the Titans sit at 7-5, having won three straight and five of their last six. They are definitely a good team. So, the Raiders will need that home cooking to be served piping hot to prove Oakland is where they thrive.
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