AFC West Roundup: Week 17 Finale

Oakland Raiders

The Raiders are in excellent shape for the foreseeable future. They have a young MVP caliber QB in Derek Carr, a potential DPOY in Khalil Mack, and many of their key pieces are young and under contract for at least the next two years.

Reggie McKenzie has said it is of paramount importance to keep the nucleus together and he will do what’s needed to make it happen. Mark Davis has expressed his willingness to pay for the right players to build a champion. Jack Del Rio continues to put a positive vibe out regardless of what happens and coach this team with patience, intelligence and accountability.

But right now the Raiders feel disappointment. Raider Nation feels disappointment. It’s tough to feel disappointment when your team makes the playoffs for the first time in 13 years. Yet, disappointment abounds.

The QB situation flat-out sucks. No indictment of McGloin — who is better than he showed on Sunday — or Cook, who looks potentially good. But Carr had this team confident, scoring in bunches and loving life.

The team that showed up in Denver wasn’t the 2016 Oakland Raiders. 2014, sure. 2015? Maybe even. But not this edition. The flat, lifeless bunch that sleepwalked through the first quarter was hard to watch, and very much anger-inducing.

When bad things happen in life, people are traumatized. The Raiders were traumatized on Sunday and hadn’t gotten over losing their leader. McGloin hits Cooper for that wide-open crossing TD and who knows what happens to the team’s confidence?

But he missed. And missed. And missed agian. The team’s head dipped lower, and lower. Game over, almost before it started.

Del Rio is too good of a coach and motivator to allow that to happen again. This team has a real chance to beat the Texans, who are suffering through their own QB woes. Of all the opponents the Raiders could’ve drawn, they match up with Houston the best.

The Raiders can create turnovers against the Texans. They can stifle their offense. The Texans under Savage haven’t been much better than they were under Osweiler. Lamar Miller isn’t 100%. This is a winnable game, even without Carr.

But the defense must step it up. Khalil Mack is a beast but was relatively quiet against Denver. They need him to create havoc in the backfield and open up lanes for Bruce Irvin and a newly returned Mario Edwards Jr.

The Texans have an excellent running game, and a terrible passing game. It’s key for the Raiders to stop the run early and force Savage/Osweiler to the air to beat them. The Texans don’t do well when that happens. Turnovers abound and teams get short fields. The Raiders thrive on that, and will need it with Cook under center.

For what it’s worth, in a Twitter poll posted on JBB, Raider Nation wants Cook to start. Overwhelmingly.

Can’t say I disagree based on the small sample size. Even Del Rio seems unsure at this point. 

The Raiders were looking a year ahead of schedule in the grand scheme. Carr’s injury set them right back, but they are poised for greatness not only this season, but those to come. Despite the disappointment of Carr’s injury, it’s an exciting time in Raider Nation.