The Las Vegas Raiders currently sit at 1-4, a far cry from the expected season that many were predicting for this team. Offseason expectations and predictions aside, maybe this is who the Raiders were all along. It was easy to overlook obvious roster deficiencies when you acquired stars such as Davante Adams and Chandler Jones. But despite the slow start to the season, The Athletic’s most recent power rankings still have the team in the high 20s. Maybe Raider Nation can take solace in that, right?
The Athletic Ranks The Las Vegas Raiders At No. 22
One positive take from these rankings? The Raiders actually moved up one spot, so there’s that. Bo Wulf, who wrote this latest list, mentions that not all is lost for the Silver and Black. He makes note of the sudden “weak” division that the Raiders find themselves in.
“There are no moral victories in the record book, but that was as impressive a loss as a team has had all season, as the Raiders nearly stole a win in Arrowhead and probably should have if the rule book made a little more sense. Alas, Las Vegas has to lick its wounds over the bye week knowing 11 of the 156 teams to start a season 1-4 since 1990 have gone on to make the playoffs, the most recent being Washington in 2020. The Raiders won’t have the benefit of playing in a historically weak division, but a wild-card spot doesn’t seem all that impossible given the jumbled mess of two to three teams.”
When looking at last night’s offensive execution, there were many positive takeaways. That’s especially true for Josh Jacobs, the offensive line, and Adams. Yes, the costly error/miscommunication between Adams and Hunter Renfrow proved to be disastrous, but overall, it was a notable performance from the offense. Sooner or later, the Kansas City Chiefs’ duo of Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce were going to get theirs. The Raiders’ secondary just isn’t ready to effectively guard this imposing duo for four quarters.
The statistic that sticks out in Wulf’s summation of the Raiders is that only 11 teams have made the playoffs after starting 1-4 since 1990. To quote Jim Carrey, “So, you’re saying there’s a chance?” Yes, the Raiders’ playoff hopes aren’t dead in the water, but they’ll need to quickly get it together after their bye week. Their schedule has some slightly favored matchups afterward, so Josh McDaniels can still lead this team back to the postseason.
*Top Photo: Official Raiders YouTube Channel