The Las Vegas Raiders made it to the playoffs last season, and one NFL insider feels they could be the next underdog to play for a title next season.
The Las Vegas Raiders took on the Cincinnati Bengals in the Wild Card round, after winning four straight games to close the 2021 regular season. Though the Silver and Black would lose that game, it was great to see them back in the playoffs for only the second time since the 2002 NFL season.
For the Bengals, the win would start an unlikely run to the Super Bowl, a run that ended with a 23-20 loss at the hands of the Los Angeles Rams. Still, this was a team that nobody expected to accomplish so much this season, and the team they beat in the Wild Card could be the next team to shock in the AFC.
AFC offensive coach says Raiders could shock in 2022
In his most recent piece for FanSided.com, NFL insider Matt Lombardo spoke to a few AFC sources in terms of which team could be this season’s Bengals. Some sportsbooks had Cincinnati at +12000 odds to win the Super Bowl, and according to one AFC offensive coach, the Raiders could be next.
"“I think the Raiders have the chance to be really good,” an AFC offensive coach says. “They already have a playoff roster in place and a really good coaching staff that should have a smooth transition with each other to be on the same page immediately.”"
Speaking to another NFL coordinator, the sentiment was the same, as long as Derek Carr returns.
"“All things stay status quo on the quarterback,” an NFL offensive coordinator says. “I would say the Raiders have the best chance, as long as Carr comes back.”"
Carr is entering the final season of his current contract, but there are already rumblings that the franchise plans to extend him. Hopefully, Josh McDaniels and David Ziegler can be the consistency this franchise has been lacking at head coach and general manager, setting the Raiders up for long-term success, and not a yearly rebuild.
Raiders 2022 NFL Draft: Jason Willis’s Top-7 Quarterback Rankings
With the 2022 NFL season concluded, it is now officially Draft season for the Raiders. Of course, the quarterbacks will be front and center.
With the quarterback in place, multiple Pro Bowlers, and talent on both sides of the ball, the Raiders should continue to be a playoff contender in 2022, and beyond. Carr is the key here because he has put the statistics together, and finally had a double-digit win season for the first time in five years, putting the Raiders on the doorstep of a possible run in 2022.