Las Vegas Raiders suddenly a team nobody wants to face
By Brad Weiss
After their embarrassing loss to the Indianapolis Colts a few weeks back, the Las Vegas Raiders have become one of the more complete teams in the NFL.
Going into their matchup with the Los Angeles Chargers, the Las Vegas Raiders were fresh off two straight overtime victories in games they were underdogs going into. Early in the week, Las Vegas was the underdog against Los Angeles as well, but the line kept changing throughout the week, and they moved into being the favorite by the time kickoff rolled around.
On Sunday, the Silver and Black looked like a favorite, dominating the Chargers from start to finish, as they continue to turn their season around. This team looks nothing like one that fell to 2-7 after losing to Jeff Saturday and the Indianapolis Colts and now looks like a team to beat in a very tough AFC.
The win against Los Angeles moved the Silver and Black to 5-7 on the season, and the slate really opens up for them to make a run down the stretch. It starts Thursday night against a Los Angeles Rams team that does not have Matthew Stafford or Cooper Kupp, giving this Raiders’ defense a significant advantage.
Las Vegas then welcomes New England in primetime and goes to Pittsburgh on Christmas Eve, so the stage is set for a possible run.
Raiders could go on a run to close the season
The Rams game is one the Raiders are already big favorites in, and with how lost the New England Patriots have looked as of late, there is no reason Las Vegas does not win that one at home. Kenny Pickett has struggled as the starter in Pittsburgh, and with Jimmy G gone with a broken foot, is four straight wins really possible?
The final game of the season is against Kansas City, who could have the No. 1 seed in the AFC already wrapped up by the time that game kicks off.
Whatever happens from here on out, the Raiders have banded together to shake off a terrible start and become a legitimate team in the AFC. If they win out and get to ten wins, they have an excellent chance to make the playoffs, and that would be one of the more remarkable playoff runs in NFL history.