Las Vegas Raiders

2013 @ Jets Loss 2014 @ Jets Loss 2019 @ Jets Loss 2019 Vs Jags loss 2022 Vs Colts Loss 2023 Vs Jets WIN!

If the Raiders are going to be contenders, it starts next week in Miami. The Dolphins early on this season looked like one of the strongest teams in the league. I admittedly haven't watched them very much since after the first few games, but in looking ahead to next week, I see that they have:

1. Beat teams that they should beat
2. Lost the games vs. other contenders

This whole season (and last season), I was adamant that this team has the talent, that the problem lay within Josh McDaniels, and his lack of the ability to game manage and lead men. Now, since we've jettisoned that cancer, we see glimpses of what the Raiders are when you have full buy-in from the team. The RAIDERS have beat two teams that, assuming they are legitimate contenders, they should have.

Now moving forward, I think the biggest question mark has to be at QB, and early returns are good. AOC is still a rookie and we can expect him to make some mistakes, but I would argue that if we get this level of production out of him and play together as a team, we've got a shot.

Miami is coming off of a bye, and they will be playing at home. Imagine if we hang an L on them next week. The team would have belief going into the Chiefs (and beyond), and belief is a funny thing. It turns losers into winners in a league full of parity.

If the Raiders win this one, we would have a shot to win out into our bye, and then who knows? The sky's the limit. I think the Dolphins are the first litmus test (post JMD) to see what we've actually got, and I expect the boys to come out and play their asses off. Exciting times for the team. Let's go get it!

Edit: formatting

Really loved that 4th down call with Carter sneaking around the line for the first with the D expecting a sneak.

What plays stood out to you ?

We currently sit at 5-5, good enough for 2nd place in division, 2 wins outside of first place.

Next opponents are:

1. Dolphins
2. Chiefs
3. BYE WEEK
4. Vikings
5. Chargers
6. Chiefs
7. Colts
8. Broncos

Realistically, how do we end the season? My thought would be a loss in MIA, an underdog win against the Chiefs, a loss against the Vikings, a win against the Chargers to keep us in 2nd place, a loss against KC, and finishing the season with wins against the Colts and Broncos.

That would put us at 9 and 8, just above 500. I think our chances of making the playoffs if it works out this way is still unlikely. The AFC north looks particularly strong, we will be competing for a wild card with the likes of the Bengals, Steelers (who beat us), Bills (if MIA stays in 1st, lost to them already), Browns, Jaguars, etc.

For us to make the playoffs, it’s likely we need another surprise, underdog win or two. I can see them possibly beating Josh Dobbs in Minnesota, especially if the defense continues to play tough. If that happens, I think we can squeak in to the playoffs at 10-7.

Do y’all agree? Different opinions? Anyone think we make the playoffs at 9-8?

Great win last night, playing inspired, smash mouth football. Back to .500, basically a new season, like being 0-0 again. RN4L!

So refreshing.

Love this turn around

I'm not trying to Doom and gloom us. I legit think this team is WAY better than before. This team actually has heart again, not something I've seen from the Raiders since....well without trying to be a broken record, 2016 and also 2021 (after Gruden). Looking at the remaining schedule this team honestly could go at the least 7-10, to 11-6 at the most.

I very much doubt we win out, I think the team is good but not THAT good. I want to take a guess and say we finish at 9-8. I think we lose to the Dolphins and Chiefs next, we surprise the Vikings and get back our win against the Chargers, lose to the Chiefs again, and then win out the remainder of the season. But really any of those games can go either way. The rest of the schedule is not a cake walk at all. We sadly easily could lose to the Chargers again. The Broncos may FINALLY beat us once again. I mean they beat the Chiefs for crying out loud.

Until we decisively beat the Chiefs I just can't say we'll split wins with them and definitely not beating them both times. The Chargers are the Chargers. Yeah they whooped us earlier this year but I think this newfound energy the team has will be the deciding factor. And the Broncos are the Broncos. I 99% think that's another win, but as I said above they did beat the Chiefs so......anything is possible against division rivals.

But really this post isn't so much about the Raiders as it is about the AFC in general. Sadly, the AFCN is just THAT division this year. I've looked at their remaining schedules and, well I know any given Sunday is said for a reason but like.....they all have easy fucking schedules remaining AND they're all on top of the AFC and have the Wild card spots as of now locked in. Even if we finish above .500, or have 10 wins, I sadly am not sure if that will be enough this season. Nevermind the fact that before McD's firing I 100% figured this season was a wash. I'm HOPING beyond hope this team pulls off the miracle again and repeats 2021, but idk. A lot of factors need to go right for us to pull it off. We need to play better than the other teams, and we need to hope at LEAST one of the AFCN teams starts to fail opening up the last wildcard slot. And I haven't even MENTIONED the Bills......or the Jags/Texans. The AFC is freaking stacked with talent this year and the Wild card race is so close and yet so far away.

All in all it will definitely be disappointing if we finish above .500 and miss the playoffs. Infuriating actually because then that will mean if we didn't have McD as our HC starting this year maybe we had a better shot. If we didn't start with JimmyG and instead had AOC starting all year maybe we had a shot. Or on the flip side maybe all this had to happen for us to get here. We can shit on McD all we want BUT without him we don't have AP right now as our HC. If we finish out above .500 I have to think Mark doesn't make the same mistake twice and we roll with AP and company next year.

I'll be the first to admit I didn't think much of AOC. A QB drafted in the 4th round? Usually doesn't pan out. I figured even if JimmyG failed and we switched to him the season was a wash and we'd be in line for Caleb Williams and that's what I was hoping for as the best scenario out of this season. Instead here I am thinking about the playoffs.....after seeing the post comparing the QBs who have faced the Jets defense this year and seeing OUR boy at the top, above Mahomes, Hurts and Allen......yeah alright I was definitely wrong about AOC. Maybe he is the guy long term. And maybe, just maybe, next year if everything goes the way I hope it does, instead of hoping for a repeat of 2021 where we luck into the playoffs like i am for this season, we can finally have a repeat of 2016 and definitively and firmly make the playoffs, no questions asked.

Just Win Baby!

With the win, interim head coach Antonio Pierce becomes one of only seven coaches in Raiders history to win each of his first two career games at the helm of the Silver and Black. He is just the third interim head coach to accomplish this feat.

Josh McDaniels started his Raiders' career at 0-3 and then went on to be 2-7.

But you already knew that.

Pierce has already one-upped him in that category, and with just one more win, he will have just as many wins as McDaniels had in 2023.

In other words, HISTORIC

Is the line just that bad? Or is something seriously amuck with JJ?

The Energy Was Different Tonight

Carlson was lights out. AJ was making huge punts yet again to pin the Jets in bad field position and Carter got some critical yardage in his returns to give us better field position. Was a very underrated part of our game yesterday night and they delivered!

This should be grounds for admission to a mental hospital

Only two other teams (out of 11 total now) before us won their 2nd game in a row with an interim head coach.

And because of this stat a lot of analysts said we weren't going to beat the Jets. "That energy/vibe will be gone".

Kick rocks, talking heads.

I can't remember if we do this anymore but I'm starting it back up cause it seems like something JMD would've gotten rid of.

Also wanted to say, haven't seen anyone mention the return of Deablo and he was looking solid.