Many Las Vegas Raiders fans don’t pay much mind to power rankings—fair enough. However, it’s still worth noting that a platform of the magnitude of ESPN still doesn’t think too highly of the Silver and Black, at least not yet.
The Raiders, by all accounts, earned a hard-fought victory, escaping Denver with a first-place finish in the AFC West. Yes, it’s Week 1, but maybe we’ll let Raider Nation enjoy that as much as possible. Optics aside, it’s interesting how multiple teams that currently own a 0-1 record were ranked ahead of the Raiders. Las Vegas, for their part, find themselves at No. 19 ahead of their Week 2 clash with the Buffalo Bills.
As far as how the publication justified it, Raiders beat writer Paul Gutierrez noted Jimmy Garoppolo’s clutch performance. Of course, one couldn’t help but mention another certain signal-caller.
“As solid as his stat line was, Garoppolo’s huddle presence, leadership and willingness to run for a game-clinching first down won over the Raiders locker room. Or, as running back Josh Jacobs said, ‘Man, he’s a dog. Any quarterback that’s willing to take a hit in a big moment to secure a win, got my respect.’ At one point, Garoppolo had to go to the medical tent for testing. He then missed two plays after taking a hit to the head, but then threw a touchdown pass upon returning. After nine years with Derek Carr as the starter, this is now Garoppolo’s team.”
Mike Florio, a perpetual Raiders fan…
Then there’s Mike Florio. One of Raider Nation’s favorite media personalities, the face of Pro Football Talk, ranked Las Vegas even lower—24th, to be exact. “If Jimmy G stays healthy, they could be a factor,” wrote Florio. Fair enough; you’d be hard-pressed to find anyone who doesn’t agree with this take. If Garoppolo is unable to stay healthy, the Raiders would be stuck with either an unproven rookie or an over-the-hill journeyman at quarterback. Basically, Josh McDaniels’ squad is going as far as Garoppolo will take them.
In all fairness to Florio and ESPN, it was Week 1. At a time in the NFL season where wild overreactions are the norm, maybe people are waiting to see whether this Raiders team is for real or not. Regardless, Raider Nation should take it in stride; this team, after all, performs better when everyone is sleeping on them.
*Top Photo: Lucas Peltier-USA TODAY Sports
