Lions' 3 Keys to Victory against Oakland

The Lions enter their Week 9 contest with the Oakland Raiders looking to win their second straight game.

If Matt Patricia & Co. are able to pull off the victory, it will match their longest winning streak of 2019.

The Lions won two in a row earlier this season when they beat the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 2 and the Philadelphia Eagles in Wk. 3.

Here are the three keys to a Lions victory Sunday in Oakland:

Stopping Josh Jacobs

The Raiders' rookie runner has had a great start to his NFL career.

The University of Alabama product has rushed for 620 yards and four touchdowns through seven games. He's also averaging an impressive five yards per carry.

He won't be easy to stop for a Lions defense that has allowed 130.7 rushing yards per game.

As bad as the Lions have been at stopping the run, though, they did manage to limit New York Giants second-year running back Saquon Barkley to 64 yards on 19 carries a week ago.

Barkley, the 2018 AP Offensive Rookie of the Year, also only managed 3.4 yards per carry in the Giants' Week 8 loss at Ford Field.

So, yes, Lions fans, I'm saying there is a chance Detroit is able to curtail the production of Jacobs on Sunday.

Stopping Tyrell Williams

Just like trying to stop Jacobs, stopping Williams will be easier said than done.

Williams, who has emerged as Raiders quarterback Derek Carr's go-to target, is coming off a solid Week 8 performance. The fifth-year receiver recorded three catches for 91 yards and a touchdown in the Raiders' 27-24 loss to the Houston Texans.

He's been a menace for opposing defenses all season long, with five touchdowns in as many games.

Expect much of the same against the Lions Sunday.

Matthew Stafford Continuing His Solid Play

The Lions' 11th-year passer has certainly bounced back after a disappointing 2018 campaign.

He owns a QBR of 70 through seven games -- tied for fifth-best in the NFL with the Eagles' Carson Wentz -- and is red hot entering Sunday's matchup with Jon Gruden and the Raiders.

In fact, he's thrown for at least three touchdowns and at least 342 yards in each of his last two games -- four TDs and 364 yards in Week 7 against the Minnesota Vikings and 342 yards and three scores in Wk. 8 vs. the Giants.

The Lions should be looking to put the ball in the hands of Stafford often this weekend, too.

Here's why: The Raiders possess a disastrous pass defense. They rank 30th in the NFL at 285.3 yards allowed per game through the air.

Meanwhile, Gruden & Co. fare much better in stopping teams on the ground. They rank ninth in rushing yards allowed per game (92.9 Y/G).

Rushing the football has also been something the Lions have struggled at all season long. They rank just 22nd in the league in rushing yards per game with 96.9.

The Lions, additionally, are lacking the presence of a true No. 1 back, with Kerryon Johnson on injured reserve.

So, Detroit's success offensively is even more predicated now upon the productivity of Stafford slinging the pigskin.

I think it's safe to say that Lions fans everywhere want offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell to put the ball in the hands of Stafford early and often.

And it's the Lions' recipe for success on Sunday in Oakland.

More: Lions Say That Raider Nation Is "Wild"