Early thoughts on Sunday
By zbest
You’ll probably call me crazy, but I think the Raiders will be in the AFC mix a lot longer than usual. Yes, it sounds insane after the opener against Denver. But, we’ve seen signs of life since then. The game in KC showed what both the offense and defense are capable of doing. Last week’s game against Buffalo was probably even more impressive. It showed the Raiders can compete on the road with a very solid team. Now the test begins.
Silver and Black are 1-2. That’s good for 7th place in the conference. This week’s game has the chance to swing the season in a very, very positive direction. Beating San Diego puts Oakland solely in 2nd in the division. That would create some positive vibes going into the bye week.
First things first, San Diego. Don’t get me wrong, they looked good Monday night. But, those were the Jets they played. I’m not sure what that win means. Their offense looked great again, putting up 48. But, the Jets hung 29 on them. That’s 94 points against in 3 weeks! When Carolina and the New York Jets put 26 and 29 on you, you’re not exactly a defensive powerhouse. The Raiders offense has made some strides, scoring 23 in each of the last two. I think we could see even more this week.
Say everything goes right Sunday and the Raiders move to 2-2. They go into the bye feeling good and come back with a manageable schedule. The next 8 games post-SD include home games against the Jets, Falcons, Panthers, and Chiefs. It also includes road games against Baltimore and Miami. Call me crazy (again), but there are a lot of winnable games in there.
This season might be much more exciting than how it started.