The Las Vegas Raiders have now lost two straight games, and the Week 5 loss to the New England Patriots was the most embarrassing moment of the season, losing 45-17. Fortunately, Las Vegas is only 3-2, and the team will be hoping to prove that things won’t get worse than what happened Sunday.
While there is still plenty of football to be played, the Raiders are quickly losing the momentum captured by their hot start. That’s evident in the current AFC West standings. After entering Week 4 with a chance to take an outright lead in the division, Las Vegas has quickly fallen to third place in the division after two consecutive losses.
However, a closer look at the division makes it clear that the Raiders shouldn’t be concerned about being left out the mix.
Week 5 AFC West roundup: Chiefs rest while Raiders struggle, and Broncos escape vs. Chargers
Here are the AFC West standings after five weeks:
Kansas City Chiefs 4-0
Denver Broncos 3-2
Las Vegas Raiders 3-2
Los Angeles Chargers 0-5
The Kansas City Chiefs had their bye week in Week 5, so they got to rest at the top of the division while watching the other three teams struggle as they try to catch them.
The Denver Broncos and Los Angeles Chargers faced off against each other, and it was a game that neither team should really feel good about. With Denver winning 23-17, the Chargers obviously have things worse. They are now 0-5, and the season is almost a full-blown disaster. Justin Herbert was sacked five times in the game and with injuries piling up, a turnaround seems unlikely.
While the Broncos did win the game, which is always good, the commentary surrounding them isn’t that great. Denver’s head coach Sean Payton is back to calling plays for the offense, but it didn’t seem to make a difference. Broncos quarterback Bo Nix continues to be underwhelming, completing just 16-of-27 passes for 123 yards and one touchdown.
That’s why Denver winning and jumping in front of the Raiders in the AFC West standings shouldn’t really concern Las Vegas. To be clear, though, the Raiders have their fair share of problems to worry about after Week 5.
As stated earlier, Las Vegas was flat out dominated by the Patriots. New England had 536 yards of offense, getting whatever they wanted through the air and on the ground. Offensively, the Raiders couldn’t do anything but throw the ball to Brock Bowers. If Las Vegas continues to play games like the one it did on Sunday, it will be stuck at the bottom of the division, a place the franchise has been trying to escape.
The NFL is a week-to-week league, though, so things could quickly change in Week 6. The Broncos will kick the week off with a Thursday night game against the Seattle Seahawks, the Chiefs will return to action with a divisional game against the Chargers, and the Raiders will try to get back on track against the Buffalo Bills.
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