The Raiders' season is effectively one-third done, and after a win over the Chicago Bears in London on Sunday, Jon Gruden's team resides in a Wild Card spot in the AFC.
Is it ridiculous to think they could hold that?
Nope.
Because given the way that they have played _ the way they have won _ the last two weeks against playoff teams from last season, it'd be foolish to say that the Raiders don't have a shot at playing in January.
And looking around the AFC, it's clear that there isn't going to be much outstanding competition for those two Wild Card spots, either.
My, how far this team has come.
We can be real and admit that Kansas City is going to win the AFC West this year. Patrick Mahomes' team is on a different level than the rest of the NFL, alongside the Patriots (who suddenly look mortal on offense).
But second place in the AFC West is for the taking _ the Broncos aren't good and the Chargers, well, were beaten up by the Broncos Sunday.
And looking at the rest of the conference, there are decent teams _ perhaps even solid teams _ but no one behind the top two stands out as a squad that the Raiders can't play with at the moment. As Gruden said in London: "You can beat anybody, anywhere, (in) any time zone."
He's right. The top competition for Wild Card spots _ Houston, the Chargers, Cleveland, Baltimore, and seemingly the entire AFC South (a division the Raiders are playing this year) _ shouldn't scare this team. Not after back-to-back wins like that, though we'll get a better idea of this team after their bye, when they play Green Bay and Houston.
Am I betting on Oakland to go to the postseason? No. Depth is a concern, as is the team's defense. I'm not thrilled with the offense, either.
But even with those doubts, I am interested in seeing what kind of odds I can get on Oakland. Everyone _ even the staunchest skeptics _ have their number.
What has been made crystal clear over the last two weeks is that the Raiders have made legitimate, tangible, positive year-over-year improvements. This team might not feel like a bonafide playoff contender, despite the nice start, but they play hard every down and they unquestionably have better talent than last year's outfit. They're a team in the middle _ for now _ a squad that is on the roller coaster that is the parity-driven NFL; a ride they were too short to board last season.
And a couple of those teams make the playoffs every year in the NFL. Maybe _ just maybe _ the Raiders are one of those teams this year.
Crazier things have happened around this team, after all.
Besides that, here's what else we learned in the Raiders' win over the Bears:
