3 reasons the Raiders could shock and win the AFC West in 2024
By Brad Weiss
The Las Vegas Raiders are not getting much love from the preseason polls, as many even feel they could take a step backward in 2024. However, this is a roster that has more talent on it than it has had in a long time, and if a few dominos fall their way, they could end up being shockingly good this upcoming season.
With that in mind, we take a look at why the Raiders could end up coming out on top of what should be a strong AFC West.
3 reasons the Raiders could shock and win the AFC West in 2024
3. The Antonio Pierce Factor
When Antonio Pierce took over as the team's head coach last season, the overall feel around the organization changed. No longer were the Raiders just happy to compete, and possibly win a game, but the expectation became that they are the Silver and Black, and should be looking to go into each game and dominate.
This offseason, the organization decided to bring Pierce back as the full-time head coach, something that was met with praise by both the players, and fans. He is a guy that people are going to play hard for on a weekly basis, and he is not going to allow teams to just come in and win the physical battle.
Pierce also has some strong coaches around him, including a few who held the head coaching title at the NFL level in the past. The expectation is that the Raiders are going to give him a full 60 minutes every game, and that could be the difference in them actually making noise in a positive way in the AFC West in 2024.