It’s been a very, very long time, but the Silver and Black are back. After almost fifteen years of frightful football, the Oakland Raiders are contenders again. They’ve shown flashes in the past, but they just couldn’t over the hump. It always felt like the Raiders were finally going to be better next year. Well the Raider Nation need not fear, because next year has finally arrived. The Oakland Raiders are back.
The Oakland Raiders Are Back
The Schedule
The Oakland Raiders are back, and we know this because of how they’ve played on the road. Critics were eager to bury Oakland’s chances when they saw that the Raiders played three of their first four games on the road. The Raiders had to travel to play the New Orleans Saints, Tennessee Titans, and Baltimore Ravens in the first four weeks of the season. How did the Raiders respond? They won. They won all three games.
Moving forward, things get a little easier for the Silver and Black. They open up the AFC West with home games against the San Diego Chargers and Kansas City Chiefs. Despite a potent offense, the Chargers keep finding hilarious ways to lose, and the Chiefs just got destroyed by the Pittsburgh Steelers. Without Justin Houston, the Chiefs defense has looked lost at points, and their offense just lacks firepower.
After the Chiefs and Chargers, the Raiders are actually going to take a two week trip to Florida as they take on the Jacksonville Jaguars and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Again, the Buccaneers and Jaguars aren’t intimidating opponents. The Raiders have more wins than both teams combined.
These are all winnable games, and assuming the Raiders don’t lose focus, they could be 7-1 heading into their showdown with the Denver Broncos. Even if they lose that game, they’ll be 7-2 heading into the bye week. With opponents like the Buffalo Bills and Houston Texans around the bend, a winnable record isn’t just probable, it’s imminent.
Three C’s Make an A
Derek Carr, Amari Cooper, and Michael Crabtree have been playing Madden 2017. Or at least that’s what it looks like when they’ve suited up so far this season. Behind the best offensive line in football, the Raiders offense has been clicking on all cylinders. They have a top five offense, averaging 392 yards and 27 points a game. Only Matt Ryan, the guy coming off of a 500 yard, four touchdown game, has a higher quarterback rating than Carr, and Michael Crabtree leads the league in touchdown passes.
The offensive line has been a little banged up, with Vadal Alexander getting his first start against the Ravens last week. While the Raiders only managed 62 yards against Baltimore’s vaunted run defense, they’re still very good on the ground. The trio of Latavius Murray, DeAndre Washington, and Jalen Richard are very talented, even if they couldn’t carry the offense last week.
This is the best Raiders offense that the NFL has seen, maybe ever. They have all the potential in the world, and as long as they can stay healthy, they can be among the NFL’s elite.
The Sleeping Giant
While the defense was an issue early in the season, they’ve shown signs of life lately. Khalil Mack and Bruce Irvin both got a sack, and the pass rushers were all over Joe Flacco. The referees finally started throwing flags on Mack being held, and at the end of the game, the tally stopped at five. That’s fifty yards of holding penalties against Baltimore. Sean Smith looked a lot better, and Karl Joseph is a special player. The rookie safety was flying all over the field, laying huge hits. Even Rookie Cory James had a fantastic game, registering 15 tackles.
The fun part? The defense is only going to get better. Joseph and James will improve with practice, and the roster is going to get a huge boost in a couple of weeks. Mario Edwards Jr. will return from his injury, and Aldon Smith will find his spot in the rotation. Jihad Ward, Khalil Mack, Aldon Smith, Bruce Irvin, and Mario Edwards will make life miserable for quarterbacks late in the season.
Just Win, Baby
Head coach Jack Del Rio has done a lot for this team. He’s established an identity for this squad. He’s brought them together, and he’s showed that he’s willing to play whoever he thinks gives the team the best chance to win. The best thing that Del Rio has done is make his players believe they can win. In the past, the Raiders would fall apart under pressure. In the past, the Raiders couldn’t win a game to save their lives. Now? Well, now they’re on their way to the playoffs. Now, the Oakland Raiders are back.
