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Oakland Raiders: 5 questions to think about during the bye

By John Buhler

MIAMI GARDENS, FL - NOVEMBER 05: Derek Carr No. 4 of the Oakland Raiders of the Oakland Raiders looks on during a game against the Miami Dolphins at Hard Rock Stadium on November 5, 2017 in Miami Gardens, Florida. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)
MIAMI GARDENS, FL - NOVEMBER 05: Derek Carr No. 4 of the Oakland Raiders of the Oakland Raiders looks on during a game against the Miami Dolphins at Hard Rock Stadium on November 5, 2017 in Miami Gardens, Florida. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images) /
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PHILADELPHIA, PA – NOVEMBER 05: Quarterback Brock Osweiler No. 17 of the Denver Broncos reacts against the Philadelphia Eagles during the first quarter at Lincoln Financial Field on November 5, 2017 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Philadelphia Eagles won 51-23. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA, PA – NOVEMBER 05: Quarterback Brock Osweiler No. 17 of the Denver Broncos reacts against the Philadelphia Eagles during the first quarter at Lincoln Financial Field on November 5, 2017 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Philadelphia Eagles won 51-23. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) /

Maybe the AFC West just isn’t that good?

At the start of the year, we all knew that the AFC West was the best division in football. The only division that could have rivaled it was the NFC South. Turns out the AFC West might just have a division winner and potentially three sub-.500 teams. Denver and Los Angeles only have three wins apiece this season. Oakland is a game below-.500 heading into the bye.

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Kansas City will be on its bye with Oakland, Baltimore and Philadelphia. That means, we get to see possibly the two worst teams in the AFC West play superior opponents on Sunday and fall to 3-6. With the way that Philip Rivers slings that football for the Chargers, the elite Jaguars secondary has to be licking its collective chops. Denver quit against the Eagles last week. How do you think that’s going to go versus the Patriots at home in primetime?

Typically a division’s strength largely hinges on how good the second-place team is. If it isn’t a wild card team, then it’s not one of the better divisions in football. An elite team at the top can help offset awfulness at the bottom. However, just how good are the Raiders at 4-5? Enough to be in second-place in the underwhelming AFC West at the time of their Week 10 bye.

Next: 5 takeaways from Raiders' win over Dolphins

Overall, the AFC feels down due in large part to its supposed best division in the AFC West being down as well. Through nine weeks, the best division in the AFC would be the East. This is a division that the Patriots dominate. People thought the Bills and Jets were tanking. I guess not. Even though the Dolphins are mailing it in, they are .500 at 4-4. Maybe the AFC West just isn’t that good?

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