For most teams, winning nine games isn’t a big deal. Sure, a winning record in the NFL is nothing to sneeze at, but most teams aren’t satisfied with only nine wins. Since 2003, every team in the NFL has had a winning record. Well, every team, except the Oakland Raiders. That could change this Sunday.
The Oakland Raiders and Win Number Nine
Yes, as crazy as it seems, literally every other team in the NFL has won at least nine games in a season since 2003. The Buffalo Bills won nine games twice (2004, and 2014), the Detroit Lions have two seasons with ten wins (2011 and 2014), and even the Cleveland Browns won ten games in 2007. Over that span, the closest the Silver and Black have come were back-to-back 8-8 seasons in 2010 and 2011.
But here in 2016, that’s about to change. Through their first ten games, the Oakland Raiders are 8-2, and currently have the best record in the AFC. That’s not a typo. If the season ended right now, Jack Del Rio‘s Oakland Raiders would have a first round bye, and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs.
The Road Ahead
But before Raider Nation starts counting their chickens, it’s important to realize there are still six games left on the schedule, and none of them are easy wins. The Raiders have to play every AFC West team again, as well as the defending NFC Champion Carolina Panthers. That’s without mentioning Andrew Luck and the Indianapolis Colts or the pesky Buffalo Bills.
It’s unlikely that the Raiders will win out, but it’s even less likely that they’ll lose out. The Raiders are almost guaranteed another win, and that would be their ninth. This is important because it means that after coming close on so many occasions, the Oakland Raiders are finally back. Being honest, one could have said the Oakland Raiders were back in October, but a winning record solidifies it.
This team is built on Derek Carr, Khalil Mack, Amari Cooper, Karl Joseph, and the best offensive line in the AFC. Left tackle Donald Penn is 33 years old, but after him, this is young team. Carr and Mack are only 25, Joseph is 23, and Cooper, who has more catches and yards as Odell Beckham Jr. this year, is only 22 years old. This is a young team, and even if their lost five of their last six games, this only the beginning.
Restoring the Shield
Oakland’s logo is a shield. During the 60’s, 70’s, and 80’s, that shield was as well known a logo as any in sports. For the last 14 years, that shield has sat in the attic of the NFL, gathering dust. While Oakland should win most of their games and have a deep playoff run, the significance of the ninth win can’t be understated. Whether it’s Carolina, Buffalo, Kansas City, San Diego, Indianapolis, or Denver, whenever Oakland gets that ninth win, it will finally lift the shield out of the ashes of the 2000’s, dust it off, and return it to it’s former glory.
