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Opponent Profile: Raiders Look For Sunshine State Sweep

By Dave Thomas

If you're the Oakland Raiders, now is the time to pounce.

Oakland (5-2) did just that on Sunday, trouncing the host Jacksonville Jaguars 33-16. With the win, Oakland remains atop the AFC West (pending Monday evening's Denver game versus Houston). Even if the Broncos won that game, the two would be tied for first place in the division.

With the win in Jacksonville behind them, the Raiders now prepare for round two in Florida, a date this coming Sunday with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Tampa Bay went to the Bay Area this past weekend, rolling to a 34-17 victory over the lowly San Francisco 49ers.

So, are the Raiders ready to score their second straight win in the Sunshine State, sending them at 6-2 into a big contest at home with Denver on Nov. 6?

Bucs Season Record: 3-3

While there will be no Super Bowl titles likely coming to Tampa anytime soon (Bucs defeated the Raiders 48-21 in Super Bowl XXXVII), the Bucs are showing some improvement here and there.

Making for improved matters this season for the Bucs is the fact that defending NFC Champion Carolina is struggling at 1-5. As a result, the NFC South is basically up for grabs in 2016, with both New Orleans and Atlanta showing pros and cons as to why they may or may not win the crown.

Bucs On Offense

On the offensive side of the ball, Tampa Bay leans to young quarterback Jameis Winston. Unless one has been under a rock in recent years, they know Winston's story rather well.

Having led Florida State to a national championship in Tallahassee, the Heisman Trophy winner did not have to go far to get his start in the NFL. Once in Tampa, the expectations for the number one overall pick of the 2015 NFL Draft were high from the get-go. In no uncertain terms, Winston is definitely having much placed on his shoulders to lead the Bucs back to respectability.

To date this season, Winston has thrown for 1,596 yards, with 12 TD's and nine interceptions to boot. Winston tossed three touchdown passes in the team's win over San Francisco.

Among the favorite targets for Winston would be the talented Mike Evans (40 receptions, 545 yards, six touchdowns), with Adam Humphries and Cameron Brate coming in with 22 and 20 receptions, respectively.

On the ground, Tampa Bay turns to back Jacquizz Rodgers (324 yards on 69 carries). If there is one concern for the Bucs, the fact that they only have two rushing TD's to date likely stands out.

Bucs On Defense

On the defensive side of the pigskin, Tampa Bay is led by Kwon Alexander's 53 total tackles (eight solo stops in the win over the 49ers), with Gerald McCoy leading the team in sacks with three. Overall, Tampa Bay has sacked opposing QB's 13 times through six games.

In their win at San Francisco last weekend, the Bucs held controversial Niners' QB Colin Kaepernick to 16-of-34 passing for only 143 yards.

To date through six games, Tampa Bay's defense has not exactly been sparkling, though it has held the last two opponents (Carolina, San Francisco) to a combined 31 points. This comes after giving up 40 and 37 points, respectively in games two and three of the season (both losses).

Outlook:

For Oakland to leave Florida with back-to-back victories, it will again look to running back Latavius Murray (59 yards rushing, 2 TD's at Jacksonville) to be a factor. Murray, who had been on the shelf with a toe injury for several games, was definitely welcomed back in the win over the Jaguars.

Meantime, Oakland's defense will again look to make life miserable for an opponent, having forced three turnovers in the win at Jacksonville.

Expect this Florida test to be a tad tougher for the Raiders, though it is certainly a winnable game.

If the Raiders (lead the all-time series with the Bucs 6-3) can grab an early lead and keep the crowd out of the game for the most part, they could very well head into their showdown with Denver at home on Nov. 6 feeling mighty good about themselves.

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