Raiders Opinion: Fighting Through Contentious AFC West

The Raiders rebuilt parts of their roster for a deep playoff run. How will they stack up in the loaded AFC?

While the Las Vegas Raiders have spent the offseason bulking up their roster in an attempt to build on last year’s playoff appearance, a vast majority of the AFC has decided it is also the time to do the same. Despite none of their 2022 draft picks projected to start, the Raiders have pieced together their best roster since at least 2016. The biggest standout from 2016 was the team’s stockpiled offensive line, but the other aspects of this 2022 team appear to be superior.

Addition By Addition

The offense has added the elite Davante Adams to an already explosive corps, while the defense acquired Vernon Butler, Rock Ya-Sin, and Chandler Jones. Offensively, it could be difficult to find many trios better than Derek Carr, Davante Adams, and Darren Waller, which, when paired with Hunter Renfrow, will make these offensive threats incredibly difficult to guard as a whole.

Precarious Upside

Strictly looking at the Raiders roster, the team is in a phenomenal position to succeed. Both sides of the ball have only improved, and with a 10-7 base, this Raiders team could pose a threat to any opponent on their schedule. Unfortunately, with much of the AFC shaping up in a similar sense, the conference is developing into a gauntlet. Although a tough, hard-fought schedule can allow the best teams to rise to the top, it can also be incredibly draining for a team with eyes on the postseason.

Beyond The Numbers

Regardless of how the season goes, the Raiders’ overall grade for the season should not be based strictly on their record. There will be slugfests that simply happen to end up with the wrong team winning, and the team may squeak out some wins they had no business securing. Currently, this team feels primed to leave the days of losing to questionable teams in the past. Last season, the Raiders lost to the Chicago Bears, New York Giants, and (then) Washington Football Team.

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Best Case Scenario

It would be easy to imagine how different things would have been should the Raiders have gone 13-4, but this is exactly why every game is played out. In the games that many did not expect the Raiders to win (Dallas Cowboys and Indianapolis Colts), Las Vegas showed a ferocity not seen in their surprising losses. This fight and fire must be seen throughout the 2022 season should the Raiders want to return to the playoffs.

Decreased Margin For Error

Should the Raiders be able to play their game, with the intensity seen in their Week 18 game against the Chargers, this will be a dangerous team. Although the Raiders did make the playoffs despite a few throwaway losses in 2021, this simply cannot happen this year. The room for error has been significantly shrunken by the competitiveness of the AFC. Now that the Raiders have tasted the playoffs, and have only improved in the offseason, making the postseason again should be the team’s baseline goal.