3 Areas of Focus for Raiders in Week 6 Against Bills

The Las Vegas Raiders will return home on Sunday to face the Buffalo Bills at Allegiant Stadium. After dropping their last two games in a row to two of the league's best teams, the Raiders hope to reverse the trend against a Bills team that is just as good as any team Las Vegas has played so far.

There is no shortage of matchups that will factor into Sunday's results. However, the first five games have confirmed that when the Raiders play sound football, they are a tough out. Yet the opposite is true, too. It's clear when Las Vegas is not mentally or physically prepared.

Below are three matchups that will determine Sunday's result.

Raiders' Ground Game

The Raiders struggled to run the ball for the past three seasons. Nearly halfway through this season, that remains the case. Even after all the changes Las Vegas made to its coaching staff and roster, the Raiders still struggle to run the ball.

As in past seasons, there are several reasons they are struggling to run the ball. The offensive line has struggled to create running lanes, and starting running back Ashton Jeanty is far from healthy. These are just a few reasons Las Vegas has struggled to run the ball.

Sep 27, 2026; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; Las Vegas Raiders running back Ashton Jeanty (2) carries the ball in the second quarter against the New Orleans Saints at Caesars Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Raiders' inability to run the ball over the past few weeks has produced a similar result to past seasons when they struggled to do so. Las Vegas' offense has struggled to move the ball downfield and score points in recent games because it hasn't established a consistent ground game.

It will be nearly impossible for the Raiders to beat the Bills without more success on the ground. With Kirk Cousins' lack of mobility and the Bills' pass rush, failing to run the ball on Sunday will doom Las Vegas. Raiders offensive coordinator Andrew Janocko shared his thoughts on the issue.

“We have our calls and we have the different ways that we want to attack different defenses. Every defense gives a unique approach, and we have to have a solution for the different things that they present to us,” Janocko said before practice on Thursday.

“So, whether it's loading the box, light box, different stuff, we really try to give the players the best answer. But it really comes down to us putting the players in their best situations and the guys executing their techniques and playing fast."

The Raiders cannot afford to give up on the ground game too early, even if they do find themselves down big on the scoreboard again. The Bills' offense can get going quickly. The Raiders' offense must help their teammates on defense by sustaining drives.

May 20, 2026; Henderson, NV, USA; Las Vegas Raiders offensive tackle Kolton Miller (74) speaks during a news conference during organized team activities at Intermountain Health Performance Center. Mandatory Credit: Candice Ward-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Offensive Line Showing Improvement

The Raiders' roster issues that have left them shorthanded at the wide receiver position, and their lack of a ground game, have been caused in part by their offensive line. However, those issues have also hurt the offensive line. The Raiders' offensive struggles go beyond the line.

The Raiders showed what was possible when they protected Kirk Cousins well. Yet with every passing week, it is becoming clearer how quickly pressure can derail this offense. How well the offensive line blocks for Cousins and the Raiders' group of running backs will be a deciding factor.

Cousins must do his part too. The veteran must be more willing to move in a pocket that has been collapsing rapidly lately. It cannot be as easy as rushing more blockers than the Raiders have to derail this offense.

If that is all it takes to derail Las Vegas' offense, they are in trouble for the rest of the season. The only way to fix it is for Cousins to be more mobile, switch up the offensive line, or switch to a quarterback who can move better in the pocket than Cousins.

Depending on how the next two games go, it may be time to start looking at the depth chart for how those potential switches can be made.

Raiders vs. Raiders

Yes, the Raiders started the season with games against some of the league's worst, and their past two games have been against two of the league's best. However, Sunday against the Bills will be just as much about what the Raiders do as the Bills. It may be cliché, but it is true.

The Kansas City Chiefs and the New England Patriots are better than the Raiders. However, the Raiders made a ton of mistakes in both games, which makes it fair to wonder what would have happened had those mistakes been less prevalent. Las Vegas has to take care of their end of things.

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