Las Vegas Raiders

X-Factors: Oakland Raiders vs. Buffalo Bills

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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X-Factors for both the Oakland Raiders and the Buffalo Bills in their Week 13 matchup.

The Oakland Raiders have clinched their first winning season since 2002, and perhaps with one more win, could also end a playoff drought that has spanned since that same year.

The Buffalo Bills stand in the way of win #10.

At 6-5, the Bills are in 3rd place of the AFC East and 9th overall in the conference, a few spots outside of a wild card berth. So for both teams, this is a big game.

Injury reports are expansive for both teams, so more than ever, unheralded players will need to step up.

Here are x-factors on offense and defense for both the Raiders and the Bills.

Nov 6, 2016; Oakland, CA, USA; Oakland Raiders running back DeAndre Washington (33) is tackled by Denver Broncos inside linebacker Corey Nelson (52) during the fourth quarter at Oakland Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Neville E. Guard-USA TODAY Sports

DeAndre Washington

After dismantling the Broncos defense with a devastatingly effective ground attack — 43 carries for 218 yards and 3 TDs — Oakland’s run game has vanished.

Against the Panthers, the Raiders totaled 55 yards on the ground on 30 carries, good for an average of 1.8 yards per carry.

The week before, against Houston, the Raiders accrued just 30 yards on 20 carries — an average of 1.5 yards per carry. For those of you counting at home, that’s 85 yards on 50 carries over the last two games.

The two consecutive poor performances have dropped Oakland from the 5th best rushing offense in the NFL, down to 10th. Against the 21st ranked run defense, the run game will have an opportunity to get back on track.

DeAndre Washington has fallen out of favor, but with the team banged up and Latavius Murray and Jalen Richard having consecutive rough games, the team could look back to Washington for a spark.

Washington has a quality 4.8 yards per carry average, and he actually leads the team in rushes for more than 20 yards, with 4. So his sudden position in the doghouse is a bit puzzling.

But something or someone needs to get this run game going again. Let’s see if it’s DeAndre Washington who gets it done.

Oct 9, 2016; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Buffalo Bills wide receiver Marquise Goodwin (88) celebrates after a touchdown against the Los Angeles Rams in the second half during the NFL game at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Richard Mackson-USA TODAY Sports

Marquise Goodwin

Last week in this column, Ted Ginn got the nod for the opposing team. This isn’t a “pat myself on the back” plug — rather, it’s just to say that it was an easy choice. The Raiders secondary has struggled all year with speedy wide receivers, and Ginn fit the bill.

Marquise Goodwin is a near clone of Ginn, and he could easily get loose over the top of the defense, just as Ginn did on his 88-yard touchdown reception.

Many might remember Goodwin from the 2013 NFL Combine. His unofficial 40-yard dash time at first came in at 4.17 seconds, which would be a new record. But his official time ended up being 4.27 — so yeah, he’s kind of fast.

Goodwin isn’t a volume receiver, a possession receiver, or really much of a receiver at all. He has one trick, but that trick is quite useful. He is going to run a streak route, run by you, and hope Tyrod hits him on the money.

It’s happened twice this season, on an 84-yard touchdown and on a 67-yard touchdown. So while Goodwin may only contribute one long touchdown at best, that could be the difference between a win and a loss.

Sep 25, 2016; Nashville, TN, USA; Oakland Raiders strong safety T.J. Carrie (38) celebrates after defeating the Tennessee Titans 17-10 at Nissan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

T.J. Carrie

D.J. Hayden has been placed on season-ending injured reserve. I never thought I would say it, but this is actually a loss for the Raiders. Whether people want to admit it or not, Hayden has been serviceable in his new role as the team’s slot corner. Not great, maybe not even good, but certainly not bad.

Now that Hayden is out for the rest of the regular season, someone needs to step up in his place. Carrie, the team’s secondary jack of all trades, could be that guy. And even if Carrie doesn’t get the call in the slot, David Amerson is also ailing and could miss the game, forcing Carrie to play outside instead.

So either way, Carrie is going to be an important player for this defense on Sunday. Which based on how this season (as well as last season) has gone, isn’t a good season.

Because truth be told — and again, many people don’t want to admit this — but Carrie has been a good deal worse than Hayden.

On that 88-yard touchdown by Ted Ginn, it was Carrie who was burned in coverage. And there are countless other examples since the beginning of the 2015 season that prove that Carrie isn’t the same player he was during his rookie season.

So for better or for worse, Carrie is an x-factor on Sunday. Hopefully with an increased role that stays consistent, Carrie can get the extra reps in practice and help get back into his rookie season groove.

Sep 25, 2016; Orchard Park, NY, USA; Buffalo Bills middle linebacker Preston Brown (52) and cornerback Kevon Seymour (29) try to make a tackle on Arizona Cardinals running back David Johnson (31) during the second half at New Era Field. Bills beat the Cardinals 33-18. Mandatory Credit: Timothy T. Ludwig-USA TODAY Sports

Kevon Seymour

With Bills standout cornerback Ronald Darby ruled out with a concussion, rookie Kevon Seymour will get the start in his place.

Darby being out is a huge break for the Raiders. He posted an impressive rookie campaign in 2015, and it certainly looks like he is going to be a notable player in the NFL for years to come. His absence frees up either Amari Cooper or Michael Crabtree to be covered by the rookie, Seymour.

Seymour is an sixth-round rookie out of USC, who has played sporadically thus far. He was considered more of an athlete than anything else coming out of college, struggling with balls skills while at USC.

Seymour is going to get thrown right into the thick of things on Sunday, as either member of the NFL’s top WR duo will be lining up across from him.

How the rookie performs against either Cooper or Crabtree will be a big factor in how either the Bills secondary performs, or how Oakland’s wideouts perform. Derek Carr, Bill Musgrave and the WRs will certainly look to test Seymour early and often, to see what the rookie is made of.

If Seymour holds his own, the Raiders will need to find other ways to get the offense going with a more balanced approach. But if Seymour gets exploited, look for the Raiders to thrown on him until he proves he can stop it.