It’s been a rough few months for the Las Vegas Raiders. After starting the season 5-2, the Raiders have lost their head coach, their star receiver (Henry Ruggs) and another 2020 first-round pick in Damon Arnette.
On top of all that, they have lost five of their last six games with their only win coming against the Cowboys in overtime on Thanksgiving Day. Other than that, it’s been quite the slide for the Raiders.
So far have they fallen in comparison to the rest of the league?
In a recent article by ESPN’s 32 beat writers, they ranked every team after Week 14. Not surprisingly, the Raiders fell quite a bit after their 48-9 loss to the Chiefs as they are now ranked at No. 23. Here is what senior writer Paul Gutierrez had to say about the team after 13 games:
“As Bill Parcells once famously said, “You are what your record says you are.” And when it comes to these FPI figures … exactly. The offense, in general, and quarterback Derek Carr, in particular, are middle of the pack.
The defense is improved, yes, but is still a bottom-feeder. Perhaps the most damning figure here is for the special teams, what with interim head coach Rich Bisaccia one of the more respected special teams coaches in the NFL. But at the end of the day, it’s about wins and losses, yes?”
The Raiders are in a tough spot, without a doubt. They are down several offensive linemen and key passing-game weapons, such as Darren Waller. However, they have a chance to get back on track in Week 15 against the depleted Browns in Cleveland.
If the Raiders can win that game and improve to 7-7, they’ll still have an outside shot of making the playoffs. 9 wins might be enough to make the playoffs this year in the AFC, but the Raiders have to get a win this week in order to keep their playoff hopes alive.
