Wait for future? No, the Raiders moment is now
If — for whatever reason — you would have asked me a few weeks ago which was the better team, the Raiders or the Chiefs, I would have sided with Kansas City without hesitation.
I won’t soon forget what the Chiefs did to the Raiders in Week 2 at the Coliseum. Patrick Mahomes had the greatest quarterbacking quarter I’ve ever seen with my own two eyes in that game.
The Chiefs, flawed as they might have been, looked light years ahead.
But now, as we head into
Week 12 of the campaign, I’m hesitating a little bit.
Kansas City has looked vulnerable — downright mortal — in recent weeks. Even in wins, like Monday night’s victory over
the Chargers, they don’t seem like the juggernaut they were last year. Mahomes’ kneecap injury didn’t torpedo their season, but injuries on the offensive line and at running back have taken their toll. Now their top wide receiver, Tyreek Hill, might be out again, and while their defense picked off Philip Rivers four times in Mexico City Monday, I wouldn’t expect them to reach the same altitude again this season. That’s a downright questionable unit.
Yes, the Chiefs, presumed to be one of the NFL’s elite teams this year, can’t claim to be at that level anymore. At the moment, they fall well behind New England and Baltimore in the AFC hierarchy.
And they might fall behind the Raiders in the AFC West standings in a few weeks.
Don’t get me wrong, the Raiders won’t be confused with a juggernaut anytime soon — maybe in a few years in Las Vegas they can reach that level — but they’ve out- executed their opponents for the better part of a month now. They know what they’re about and that they can play with anyone in the NFL.
And while, deep down, I’d probably say that the Chiefs are still the better team between the AFC West rivals, that gap has significantly shrunk in recent weeks. If the Raiders take care of business on Sunday against the Jets, the Chiefs and Oakland will play for the division lead on Dec. 1 in Kansas City.
I certainly didn’t see that coming when the season started. I sure as hell didn’t imagine it after the Week 2 beatdown.
But here we are: the Raiders are on the precipice of making a leap. Forget their previous timeline — forget the process — this team’s moment is nigh.
They’re a bonafide playoff contender with a chance to be something more than that if they can
play their best football at the right time.
Most NFL experts expect the Raiders to fade from contention — for the preseason expectations and perceived deficiency in talent to kick in at any momenta. Don’t hold it against them — it’s an easy stance to take.
But what happens if the Raiders win in New Jersey — they’re 3-point favorites on the road Sunday — and then pull off the upset in Missouri?
No one — including myself — could claim that this young team for the future is a year or two away then.
It’s probably too late, but I honestly don’t want to jump the gun — the
Jets are a good team that’s fully capable of beating Oakland, ruining this great set-up I’ve concocted — but I also
feel that it’s important to take a moment to reflect on this impressive turnaround by Jon Gruden’s team. No matter what happens, this has been wildly impressive.
The Raiders — these Raiders — have a chance to win the entire division.
The Chargers aren’t going to be part of the picture this year — it’s just the Raiders and Kansas City for the final six weeks of the campaign.
Wild.
I don’t have a prediction for this upcoming Sunday or the one following that, but I do have a suggestion: get your Gruden jokes in now — with the way his team’s playing, those wise- cracks are probably past their sell-by date.
Speaking of which: anyone interested in buying some?