ALAMEDA, Calif. — Speculation is increasing about the job security of coach Dennis Allen as the winless Oakland Raiders prepare for the daunting task of a road assignment against the New England Patriots.

Maybe all he has to do is win in New England. Hey, no big deal, right? And after that beat the Miami Dolphins in London. And then return home to Oakland for a week off. Or maybe more than a week.

However, the odds of success seem long based on the current trend, as Sunday’s game comes on the heels of the Oakland’s 30-14 home loss to the Houston Texans. And then there is that long trip from Boston to London, where the Raiders will face the Dolphins at Wembley Stadium the following week.

So, realistically, there is every chance the Raiders could hit the bye week 0-4, at which time it would surprise no one if owner Mark Davis pulled the plug on Allen. The coach’s current record is 6-28 in two-plus seasons.

At his post-practice briefing with a larger-than-usual contingent Wednesday, Allen cut off the first query about his job security quickly.

“What matters is getting ready for the New England Patriots, and that’s all I’m going to focus on,” Allen said.

Asked if he talked with Davis, Allen invoked the chain of command that has been consistent since he arrived: Allen reports to general manager Reggie McKenzie, who reports to Davis.

When dealing with media, Davis consistently lets McKenzie answer all questions about Allen and the job the coach is doing. McKenzie, unavailable for comment, has long support Allen.

“I’ll let Reggie answer that,” Davis said in August. “I hired Reggie, gave him the authority to run the football side of the organization, and results speak. That’s where it’s at.”

The question is whether Allen will force McKenzie’s hand. Former Miami coach Tony Sparano is the Raiders’ assistant head coach, has experience being in charge and is the likely on-staff choice to be an interim coach in the event of Allen’s dismissal.

Davis has not talked publicly about the Raiders’ performance through the first two games of the season, but the 0-2 start — and particularly the home-field face plant against the Texans — were no doubt disturbing.

He said he wanted to see progress, and he cited 2013 home losses to the Philadelphia Eagles and the Kansas City Chiefs as unacceptable.

“There were games last year where we didn’t show up,” Davis said. “That can’t happen anymore.”

Allen maintains the practices are going well.

“My hope is that we’re going to go out there and play well,” Allen said. “I firmly believed we would go out there and play well the first two weeks. Unfortunately, we haven’t got it done. We’ve practiced good during the week, but we’ve got to go out there and play on Sundays.”

Quarterback Derek Carr sensed an enthusiasm in practice on the first day getting ready for the Patriots, and he attributed it to Allen.

“I think everything comes from the top down,” Carr said. “Coach Allen was energized. That’s how it has to be because we’re in this thing together.”

Wide receiver Rod Streater has a sure-fire way to end the speculation on Allen.

“If we win, there are no other issues,” Streater said. “We feel like we’ve got the right coach, the right staff. Our focus is to stop killing ourselves with little mistakes. Once we do that, I feel we can be a really good team.”

NOTES: RB Maurice Jones-Drew (procedure on hand) did not practice Wednesday and may not be available to face the Patriots. … WR Vincent Brown, signed to the Raiders’ roster Tuesday, is being upramped quickly and could see significant time against New England. Brown caught 41 passes for 472 yards for the San Diego last year after missing 2012 with a broken ankle. … WR Rod Streater (hip flexor) did not practice Wednesday but expects to play Sunday. … CB Carlos Rogers (knee) missed practice Wednesday but is expected to play against New England. … DE Justin Tuck did not practice Wednesday because of an illness. … LB Nick Roach was limited and still has not completed the protocol for a concussion. He was hurt in the third preseason game. … OT Matt McCants (knee) was limited in practice Wednesday. … LB Bojay Filimoeatu was signed to the practice squad a day after being waived.