Sitting at 5-3, the Raiders currently are in the No. 6 spot in the AFC. They have gotten to that spot despite several injuries on both sides of the ball and have beaten a few really good teams already this season.
But what are the expectations for this team going forward? Is this a team that could compete in the AFC by the end of December? Is this really a playoff or bust season for the new-look Raiders?
In a recent article by ESPN’s beat writers, they reset the expectations for all 32 teams now that we are at the midpoint of the season. For the Raiders, a playoff berth is now a must considering how the year is going. Here is what ESPN’s Paul Gutierrez had to say about the Raiders through eight games:
“Hey, as it stands now, the Raiders would be the No. 6 seed in the AFC. And as the lone team to beat the Super Bowl champion Chiefs in the last (checks notes) calendar year, confidence is high. Especially with how Las Vegas continues to win games with patchwork offensive lines, fill-in secondaries and a more daring Derek Carr at quarterback. Playoffs? Why not?”
With a fairly soft schedule the rest of the way, there really is no reason the Raiders shouldn’t make the playoffs barring huge injuries. They are finding ways to win games and Derek Carr is playing arguably the best football of his career.
If the Raiders can get to 10 wins, that would almost assuredly get them into the tournament. Even a 9-7 win season could potentially do it if they held the tiebreakers over other playoff candidates such as the Colts or Dolphins.
With a win against the Broncos in Week 10, the Raiders could drastically improve their standing in the AFC Wild Card hunt. But make no mistake about it, this team should and needs to make the playoffs this season. If they don’t make the playoffs, this season would be considered a failure. However, it does appear they are on the right track to accomplishing that goal.
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