When the Kansas City Chiefs defeated the Oakland Raiders on Thursday Night Football, Raider Nation was so deflated, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell suspended Tom Brady an additional four games. The loss dropped Oakland five spots, out of first place in the AFC and the AFC West, and into the wild card picture. The Raiders are currently tied with Kansas City at 10-3, but the Chiefs have the tiebreaker. The Raiders could still end up winning the division, but it’s important for Raiders fans to stop and smell the coffee.
Raider Revival: The Silver and Black Lining
The Oakland Raiders are 10-3. If someone told you that the Raiders would have ten wins after 13 games, you’d have thought they were crazy. Even the most optimistic experts set the ceiling at about ten wins for Oakland. Before the season started, NFL.com projected Derek Carr to throw only 28 touchdowns with 17 interceptions. After 13 games, Carr is on pace for 30 touchdowns, while only throwing six interceptions.
Hey @NFL. You really think this is what @derekcarrqb is going to do his year?… ?????? pic.twitter.com/QYMvhUlh2K
— LWOS Raiders (@LWOS_Raiders) August 15, 2016
Despite an ugly performance against Kansas City, Derek Carr is still a favorite to win the MVP award, and pass rusher Khalil Mack is almost guaranteed the defensive player of the year award. The Raiders have their first guaranteed winning season since 2002, and barring an epic collapse, they will return to the playoffs.
It’s understandable for Raider Nation to be upset after a frustrating loss, but if they’re lacking perspective, they don’t have to look far to find it. If a member of the Raider Nation is feeling too down about the increasingly difficult road to home-field advantage, they only need to look back a few years.
Four Years Ago
During the 2012 season, the Oakland Raiders were a joke. Carson Palmer was under center, and he played in garbage time so often that he threw for the second most yardage in a season in Raiders history. The offense was inept, but it was the defense that was truly atrocious. They gave up at least 30 points seven times, and lost 55-20 to the Baltimore Ravens. The team went 4-12, and with limited cap space, the future looked bleak.
Three Years Ago
In 2013, it seemed like all was lost. The likes of Matt McGloin, Terrelle Pryor, and Matt Flynn started at quarterback, and the most talented player on the team was kicker Sebastian Janikowski. The Raiders finished 4-12 after losing their last six games.
Three of their losses came by at least 20 points, and eight were by at least ten points. Two of the most embarrassing losses came when Nick Foles, a Philadelphia Eagle at the time, threw seven passing touchdowns en route to a 49-20 Eagles win, and when the Chiefs poured it on in a 56-31 blowout late in the year.
Two Years Ago
Two years ago, Derek Carr and Khalil Mack were only rookies, years away from cementing themselves as two of the best in football. And how did they start their careers? Under head coach Dennis Allen, the Raiders lost their first ten games. Even after they finally won one, ironically a 24-20 win over the Kansas City Chiefs on Thursday Night Football, they lost 52-0 the next week to the St. Louis Rams. They ended up 3-13 and the Raiders fired Allen.
In 2016, the Oakland Raiders are 10-3. Their quarterback is a MVP candidate, they have an elite offensive line, and arguably the best pass rusher in football. They have a dynamic duo at wide receiver in Michael Crabtree and Amari Cooper, and the foundation of a solid defense. The numbers aren’t there yet, but with players like Mario Edwards Jr. and Aldon Smith set to return soon, that defense could pull a complete 180.
They’ve lost three games, but only one loss was by more than ten points. They own victories over both of last year’s Super Bowl participants, and have won four games in the dreaded eastern time zone. In case victory has helped you forget, Oakland had only won one of the previous 20 games on the east coast.
Silver and Black Lining
The Raiders might not win home field advantage throughout the playoffs. That’s a bummer. But at 10-3, the Raiders are far better than they have been since 2002. The last time the Raiders had a winning record, let alone had a playoff game, Nickelback‘s “How You Remind Me” was the number one single in the country. That’s right, the last time the Raiders were good, people still liked Nickelback.
It’s okay to want the team to be better. But leave the “staying hungry and focused” to the football players, who can actually affect the outcomes of games. You are only guaranteed 16 games of Raider football a year, and it would be ridiculous to pout over losing one. The Raiders have been phenomenal this season, and they haven’t even begun to scratch the surface of their true potential. They’re only going to get better over the next few years, so Raider Nation, buckle up. It’s gonna be a wild ride.
