It was said recently that there are no moral victories in the NFL, but that there are degrees to losses. As Las Vegas Raiders fans have seen over the last few weeks, the fallout from a close defeat at the hands of a good team almost helps in the power rankings more than beating a bad team does.
But the Raiders' brutal setback in Week 7 against the Los Angeles Rams, who were undermanned, to boot, has them tumbling even lower, and deservedly so. What once looked like a playoff team suddenly looks like one in need of a change at quarterback, among other positions.
All that matters at the end of the day is what the standings and the tiebreakers say, but power rankings can provide a glimpse into how more unbiased observers view the team, and they can paint a picture of how things are going lately, more than a simple win-loss record can.
The consensus is that the Silver and Black's descent should continue after their showing on Sunday.
Las Vegas Raiders' fall continues in post-Week 7 power rankings
FanSided - Jason La Canfora
Current - 22
Last Week - 19
"The defense still needs a lot of work. They are much improved from a year ago overall but are facing a brutal stretch of games. Have a very interesting decision to make as Maxx Crosby draws trade deadline interest."
Our take: La Canfora is correct that the Raiders may have an interesting decision to make regarding Crosby, as well as a number of other veteran players with value. Sunday's game against the New York Jets will say a lot about the direction of this team. And No. 22 feels wholly appropriate. Almost nice.
Current - 22
Last Week - 18
"While the masses are eager to see Fernando Mendoza take over the offense, Cousins has played surprisingly well to the point that the No. 1 pick has had to wait longer than expected to be the starter. Cousins, 38, ranks third in passing yards (1,877) and first in touchdown passes (16). Sure, the limitations at his age, such as arm strength and mobility, have been prevalent. But Las Vegas' four-game losing streak is not solely on him. Coach Klint Kubiak confirmed that Cousins will start in Week 8 against the Jets." -- Ryan McFadden
Our take: Cousins' great stats are a bit of a misnomer. While he's been far from the chief issue for this struggling Raiders team, Cousins may not be a big part of the solution. He'll start in the meantime, but that should not be written in stone. And again, No. 22 feels on the money, even if the order is different.
NFL.com - Nick Shook
Current - 25
Last Week - 18
"It’s official: Las Vegas’ 3-0 start was a mirage. The Raiders have now lost four straight and can no longer rely on Kirk Cousins to simply throw them to victory (or close losses). The calls for Fernando Mendoza are only going to grow louder if this continues, even if the Raiders’ struggles aren’t really a product of Cousins’ performance. The defense certainly didn’t do them any favors on Sunday, but perhaps they can bounce back against a Jets team mired in similar struggles."
Our take: It wasn't a "mirage." Las Vegas had an easy draw in the first three weeks, handled business, and now the young roster and staff are struggling to get it done against some of the league's best teams. Shook is right that Mendoza time is nearing and the defense is not playing well, but No. 25 is too low for an average team. The Raiders aren't worse than the Commanders or Saints.
Fox Sports - Ralph Vacchiano
Current - 20
Last Week - 18
"Remember when everyone was screaming that the Raiders belonged in the top 10? That was just four weeks and yet four losses ago. In fairness to them, those losses have come against the Chiefs, Patriots, Bills and Rams, and it’s pretty clear that all four of those teams are way out of the Raiders’ league. They do get a break against the Jets next Sunday. But after that, it’s the 49ers, Seahawks, Broncos and Browns. So yes, things definitely can still get worse. Which means it would be a bad time to switch to rookie QB Fernando Mendoza right now."
Our take: Vacchiano was reluctant to crown the Raiders early on, and now, he's seemingly got them higher than anyone else. And he's exactly right that this team has had a tough stretch. I'm just surprised that he didn't take this opportunity to dunk on Las Vegas and yank them down the board.
The Athletic - Josh Kendall and Chad Graff
Current - 24
Last Week - 18
"After a fourth straight loss on Sunday, Kirk Cousins was asked about how and when the team would turn things over to No. 1 pick Fernando Mendoza. It’s not happening yet, but even if Cousins wasn’t the biggest problem Sunday (he threw for 295 yards and two touchdowns, but the Raiders still can’t run the ball), the questions about Mendoza will get louder if Las Vegas drops next weekend’s game in New York."
Our take: Las Vegas should not be slotted in behind the Philadelphia Eagles, but whatever. My bone to pick here is that Cousins' stats don't tell a fraction of the story from Sunday's game (256 of those yards and both touchdowns came with the Raiders already down 28-3).
Sports Illustrated - Conor Orr
Current - 22
Last Week - 19
"Assuming the Raiders can beat the woeful Jets this coming weekend, the subplot of Kirk Cousins remaining the starter versus being a legitimately valuable trade chip (he’s leading the league in touchdown passes!) will thicken. Fernando Mendoza will play at some point, but if the Raiders can get a mid-round pick for Cousins with all their needs, wouldn’t that be difficult to turn down?"
Our take: No. 22 seems to be the consensus for the Silver and Black, and that is definitely on point. But Orr does bring up an interesting component of this whole Cousins situation - does benching him hurt his potential trade value? And how would a good game on Sunday affect things?
Current - 20
Last Week - 18
"The feelgood start to the Las Vegas Raiders' 2026 campaign came screeching to a halt when the calendar flipped to October. The team turned into a pumpkin and lost all four games in the month.
"At this juncture, the possibility of this year's No. 1 overall pick, Fernando Mendoza, taking over Las Vegas' offense on a full-time basis must be under strong consideration. A Week 13 bye may be too late in the process to get the team's biggest investment onto the field, because he could use all of the snaps he can get.
"On the flip side of the coin, the Raiders still face four of the league's top 12 defenses over the next five games, which doesn't even include the Denver Broncos' talented unit.
"So, the Raiders have a significant decision to make. Either the coaching staff and organization feel Mendoza is ready no matter who he faces, or the team will have to wait until December before pulling Kirk Cousins from the starting lineup." - Brett Sobleski
Our take: 20 feels generous, but we will take it. And I unfortunately cannot even appreciate that great Halloween/Fall pun. Anyway. Everyone seems to be talking about Mendoza replacing Cousins again, and rightfully so. It'll be interesting to monitor going forward.
Average Rank - 22.1
Average Rank Last Week - 18.3
Average Change - -3.8
Highest Rank - 20 (Fox Sports, Bleacher Report)
Lowest Rank - 25 (NFL.com)
Biggest Drop - 7 (NFL.com)
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