Raiders not out of crowded AFC West race
The Las Vegas Raiders are 1-3 at the quarter mark of the NFL season and in last place in the AFC West.
In hindsight, things could be worse.
Sure, the Raiders would be in much better position in the toughest division in the league had a few bounces gone their way in the first three games. Getting into the win column for the first time Sunday, 32-23 at home against the Denver Broncos, highlights how the Raiders didn’t panic despite being the last team to win a game entering Week 4.
It also opens the door for what might become a questionable AFC West in the immediate future.
“I don’t think anybody was panicking too much, but once you lose a certain amount of games, you make it tougher on yourself down the road,” wide receiver Davante Adams said. “It’s good to put that behind us a little bit. We’ve still got to go win some games, though.”
The obvious bullet point through four games is that the AFC West remains the most talented division in the league. In terms of names alone, it’s star-studded and would be ideal for those wanting to start a franchise mode on Madden 23.
Outside of that, the status quo remains from the past few years.
The Kansas City Chiefs remain at the head of the table while the Raiders, Broncos and Los Angeles Chargers play second fiddle.
“The first couple weeks, I feel like we just weren’t gelling as a total team,” defensive end Maxx Crosby said after a twosack game. “We’ve been this close every time. (Sunday), it still wasn’t perfect, but it was better and we helped each other about.”
It’s still the Chiefs’ division until they are dethroned. Despite trading Tyreek Hill, there are plenty of weapons for former MVP Patrick Mahomes. That was proven Sunday night in a win against Tom Brady and the Buccaneers in Tampa, Fla.
The Chargers are dealing with injuries that have hindered their jump out of the starter’s block. Quarterback Justin Herbert is dealing with fractured rib cartilage and doesn’t have receiver Keenan Allen (hamstring). Herbert threw for a season-high 340 yards and two touchdowns Sunday, but it was an unimpressive 34-24 win against the bottom-ofthe-standings Houston Texans.
Denver has been the biggest disappointment. The acquisition of quarterback Russell Wilson has not turned the Broncos into the competitor many expected.
Denver’s offense has been disastrous. The Broncos put up a season-high 23 points against the Raiders with Wilson having his best game with his new team, but that was just 237 yards passing and two touchdowns.
And then there are the Raiders — three losses, each by one score, putting them behind the 8-ball to begin the new coach Josh Mcdaniels’ tenure. That included blowing a 20-point lead against Arizona, and a one-dimensional offense costing them opportunities against the Chargers and Tennessee Titans on the road.
Las Vegas found that balance for the first time with Jacobs going for a career-high 144 yards and two touchdowns Sunday against the third-best run defense in the league. The Raiders ran the ball 38 times, while quarterback Derek Carr completed 21 of 34 for 188 yards.
“That’s one of the better groups I’ve played in my nine years,” Carr said. “Any plays we made, they were close to making a play. They make it hard to do anything right.”
The Raiders will complete their first go-round of division rivals Monday in Kansas City. The last four trips to Kansas City have ended in an average score of 39-15, and if not for the 40 points the Raiders put up in 2020, that offensive average would be in the single digits.
But a Raiders win on national television would open some eyes. A win in Kansas City would put the Raiders at 2-1 in the division and close the gap even further.
“They say something about rivals,” Jacobs said. “They bring out the best in you.”
If true, Sunday might have been what the Raiders needed.