Last Sunday, the Oakland Raiders defeated the Jacksonville Jaguars 33-16 at EverBank Field in Jacksonville, Florida. It marked the most dominant performance of the young team so far this season, but oddly, Raider Nation wasn’t satisfied.
Well now I’m curious. Are you happy about our game with the Jags?
— LWOS Raiders (@LWOS_Raiders) October 24, 2016
While some fans were happy enough with a win, some were very vocal about the nature of the win. Many believed they could have, and should have won by a lot more. There’s something to be said for that. They fell asleep behind the wheel in the second half, and while they still won big, they could’ve been better. There’s also something the Raider Nation need to realize.
The Real Potential of the Oakland Raiders
While the Oakland Raiders are 5-2, and currently first place in the best division in football, there’s something people aren’t talking about. This is a young team.
Derek Carr, Amari Cooper, Khalil Mack, Gabe Jackson, Karl Joseph, David Amerson are all 25 years old or younger. Of all their starters, only Donald Penn and Reggie Nelson are thirty or older. In fact, the average age of an Oakland Raider is 26 years old. This is a very young team, and yet they’re currently the number two seed in the AFC.
Don’t think that’s a big deal? Then consider the team they just destroyed in Jacksonville.
Jacksonville Jaguars
Believe it or not, the Jacksonville Jaguars are even younger than the Raiders. The average age of a Jacksonville Jaguar is 25.43 years old. They’re slightly younger than the Raiders, but they don’t look anywhere near as good. That’s not to say they aren’t a talented team. The Jacksonville Jaguars are talented.
Blake Bortles was second in touchdown passes last year, both Allen Robinson and Allen Hurns had 1,000 receiving yards, and they drafted Myles Jack and Jalen Ramsey this year. The squad has plenty of talent on both sides of the ball, they just haven’t gotten it together yet. They’re just not ready.
The Oakland Raiders
Despite being young, the Oakland Raiders are playing like a veteran team. Derek Carr is top ten in passing yards and touchdowns and has only thrown three interceptions all season. Amari Cooper and Michael Crabtree are both top ten in receptions, with Cooper being sixth in receiving yards (614) and Crabtree being number one in touchdowns (six). Despite criticism about a slow start, Khalil Mack is starting to turn up the heat, recording a sack in consecutive games.
Oakland’s defense has received a ton of grief, but they’re doing some things really well. They’re fourth in takeaways, and only allow 34.52% of third downs to be converted. The big numbers, like yards and points, grab the headlines, but there are parts of the Raiders defense that are thriving. Perhaps, if the Raiders offense sustained longer drives, the defense wouldn’t give up as many yards.
Not only are the Raiders taking the ball away, they’re not turning it over. The young Raiders have only turned the ball over five times in seven games. That means their turnover differential is currently +8. That’s second only to the Minnesota Vikings, who have arguably the best defense in football.
The Future
The harsh reality is that the Oakland Raiders probably aren’t going to win the Super Bowl this year. The defense is giving up too many points, the offense gets conservative too quickly, and frankly, most of the team has no post-season experience. But this isn’t a Super Bowl or bust team.
This young Raiders team is just getting started. The Raider Nation get five or six more years of these Raiders at the very least. If cap-magician Reggie McKenzie can keep this team together, they could eventually become a perennial contender. The Raider Nation shouldn’t be upset about how the way that the Raiders have been winning. They should be pleasantly surprised that the Raiders have been winning this much at all.
The Raiders are playing with house money this year. If they make the playoffs, it’s a win. Should the Oakland Raiders win the AFC West, it’s a win. This is only the beginning. Empire Strikes Back is the best Star Wars movie, and the Raiders are still dealing with the Phantom Menace. The Raiders are only going to get better, and before Derek Carr retires, he’ll have hoisted the Lombardi Trophy at least once. No matter what, you shouldn’t underestimate the potential of the Oakland Raiders.
