Raiders Opinion: The Long Road Ahead

If the season ended today, the Las Vegas Raiders would hold the second seed in the AFC. Although the Raiders still have 10 more games on their schedule, a 5-2 record is certainly an impressive start. Equally, finishing5-5 to finish out the season would still earn the team their first double-digit win total since 2016. Yet, before the Raiders can tackle the entire season, they still need to win.

NFC: Chicago Bears: Is Matt Nagy Losing the Locker Room?

Get Ready/Stay Ready

Depending on where you sit on the “rest vs rust” debate, the Raiders’ first matchup after their bye could be a harbinger. Returning from their bye in Week 9, the Raiders travel to New Jersey to battle the New York Giants, who currently sit significantly under .500. Both injuries and lack of talent have plagued the Giants and they should be regarded as a beatable team, especially after an extra week off. The Raiders should come into this game well-rested and well-versed in coach Rich Bisaccia’s coaching style, as this will be his longest stretch as Raiders head coach without practice schedules being interrupted by a game.

Litmus Test

Following the Giants, the Raiders will head back to Las Vegas for a date with the Kansas City Chiefs, who have not been successful in putting their horse before the cart. Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes is currently tied with Jets rookie Zach Wilson for interceptions this season, with his struggles amplified by his defense doing its best impression of a sieve. Unlike the Giants, the Chiefs should be regarded as if they were playing to the best of their abilities. The Raiders/Chiefs rivalry has never died, and the intensity of the rivalry has only increased since Las Vegas’ 2020 victory lap around Arrowhead Stadium.

Surprising Upstart

After the Chiefs, the Raiders enter one of their more grueling stretches of the season. The Raiders get to stay in Las Vegas for the week before welcoming the surging Cincinnati Bengals to Allegiant Stadium. Following their Week 7 throttling of the Baltimore Ravens, the Bengals are receiving well deserved, league-wide respect. Joe Burrow has the offense firing on all cylinders, while the defense has held up impressively well.

Showdown In Dallas

With the Raiders also knocking off the Ravens earlier in the year, should determine if Las Vegas is still up for the task. Despite the Raiders’ Thanksgiving matchup with the Dallas Cowboys being just under a month away, this has to be a game the Raiders have circled. With the Thanksgiving schedule, this game will be on national television for two of the league’s biggest fanbases. As of this writing, each team plays some of their most exciting football. While the NFL tends to add a “less interesting” Thanksgiving game to allow food comas to set in. However, this will be one to stay awake for. This upcoming stretch can make or break the season, but anything .500 or better would certainly suffice with a lighter schedule moving forward.