Las Vegas Raiders: All 1-win teams are not alike in 2022
By Brad Weiss
The Las Vegas Raiders are one of many teams with only one win this season, but they are the oddball out of the group.
Looking at the standings through five weeks of the 2022 NFL season, the Las Vegas Raiders are one of many teams with only one win. The group of teams that currently have won only one game includes the Silver and Black, the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Carolina Panthers, the Houston Texans, and the Detroit Lions.
If you look at that in terms of talent, it is clear that the Raiders should not be included in that group, and in fact, based on their play, they should be at least a three-win team at this point in the season. They are struggling to put teams away, as they have already blown big leads to the Arizona Cardinals, and most recently, the Kansas City Chiefs.
That tells me that the talent is there for them to make a playoff run, and if the coaching staff can finally figure out a way to put four quarters together, they are going to be very hard to beat. At the least, they are a team that does not belong in this grouping.
Raiders are the best one-win team in the NFL, and it is not even close
With blown leads against Arizona and Kansas City, and the team nearly beating both Los Angeles, and Tennessee, the Silver and Black are not equal to the rest of the one-win teams. Looking at the other one-win teams, they have significant issues that could take years to figure out, while the Raiders’ issues are short-term.
Here, we take a look at some of the other one-win NFL teams.
Houston Texans
The Texans have some real issues right now, and it seems they are destined to pick in the top 5, and try and get their next franchise quarterback. Davis Mills will be a serviceable backup at the NFL level, but with a QB-heavy draft on the horizon, you have to think the Texans are going to be players in selecting one.
Carolina Panthers
The same can be said for the Carolina Panthers, as they are currently in QB hell with Baker Mayfield and Sam Darnold on their roster. Carolina does have talented pieces, including Christian McCaffrey, but recent reports indicate that he could be on the trading block, though it would take a king’s ransom to get him.
Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions may not have an immediate need at quarterback, as Jared Goff has played well, but their defense may be one of the worst in football this season. Sure, if they finish in the top 5 of the 2023 NFL Draft, they could draft a long-term solution at quarterback, but right now, they should look to add the best defensive player possible.
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Steelers did draft their quarterback of the future in 2022, but it may take a while before they start to see some serious production from Kenny Pickett. Head coach Mike Tomlin is navigating uncharted waters for him, as he neer finishes below .500, so heads could roll within this franchise after the season if the trend continues.
So as you can see, all one-win teams are not created equal this season, and the Raiders should be able to bounce back from a tough start and go on a run after the bye week. The schedule gets very easy for them, including a matchup with Houston right out of the gate, so expect the Silver and Black to clear themselves from this pack of teams immediately.