The 2019 season was quite a nice surprise for Raiders’ fans. In their last season in Oakland, the team improved to 7-9 and was in the playoff hunt all the way until the last week of the season. It was a team that surpassed expectations and probably should have won nine or ten games if it weren’t for a few last-second losses.
The big question surrounding the Raiders now is if they can make the next leap as a franchise. Heading into Jon Gruden’s third year with the team (on his second stint), the Raiders have a much more talented roster than at any point over the last four years. But can that now translate into wins and potentially a playoff appearance?
In a recent article by Maurice Moton of Bleacher Report, he took on the difficult task of predicting each team’s record for the 2020 season. For the Raiders, he predicted a 9-7 season as he was impressed by the additions to the defense, superficially at linebacker. Here is a snippet of Moton’s thoughts on the Raiders for next season:
Expect the Raiders offense to show some flashes, though Gruden must prove his play-calling can carry the team through second halves. Carr should take more shots downfield to open up the offense as well. Defensively, Las Vegas will still give up points with some lapses on the back end.
With all of the additions the Raiders made on both sides of the ball this offseason, it will likely take them some time to gel. But this is a deep roster that appears ready to take the next step. It will be fascinating to see if this team can improve enough on defense to be a legit contender in the AFC in 2020.
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