Las Vegas Raiders: Toughest stretch of 2021 schedule

The Las Vegas Raiders have a tough schedule in 2021 and we examine a stretch that looks to be the most difficult of the season.

The Las Vegas Raiders 2021 schedule was released this week and after months of knowing who the opponents will be, we finally know where and when they will face off against these teams. Per the teams’ 2020 records, the Raiders have the 8th toughest strength of schedule in the NFL and it’s easy to see why.

Aside from the overall strength of schedule which is difficult thanks to the fact that they face the defending AFC champs twice and the AFC North which features 3 playoff teams, there are some particularly tricky stretches of the schedule. The Raiders only have one period of away games back-to-back and get a relatively late bye week, but they also face several playoff teams on the road.

In reviewing the schedule there were a few options for the toughest four-game stretch and the most serious consideration was the opening four weeks of the season. In that stretch, the Raiders face Baltimore on Monday Night Football, head to Pittsburgh on a short week, travel home to face an improved Miami team, then make a short trip to LA to face the Chargers.

It is debatable if the Raiders will be favored in any of those games but that all depends on how the early results end up. This applies to the stretch we feel is the toughest but for now, based on what we know, the most difficult part of the schedule starts with a trip down to Texas to face the Dallas Cowboys.