It’s time we talk about the Raiders as a serious NFL playoff contender

The Oakland Raiders have come a long way from a disastrous start to the new Jon Gruden era.

After bringing Gruden out of retirement for $100 million in January 2018, they traded away two of their best players in Khalil Mack and Amari Cooper, and skidded to a 4-12 record. Then came the Antonio Brown debacle during the 2019 preseason, followed by a shaky 3-4 start. Just a few weeks ago, it looked as if the Raiders were primed to be a laughingstock once again.

But at the midway point of the season, the Raiders are proving they might be for real after all. The Raiders have won two straight to put them at 5-4 and just a half-game behind Kansas City in the AFC West.

The Raiders’ turnaround began with a 26-24 win over the Chargers at home Thursday night. The game was sealed with an 18-yard touchdown by rookie running back Josh Jacobs late in the fourth quarter:

Then the Chiefs gave them some help. If they had won as expected with Patrick Mahomes returning off of injury, they would have maintained a two-win lead over the Raiders atop the AFC West. Instead, Mahomes’ 446-yard, three-touchdown performance fell short as the Chiefs gave up 225 yards on the ground in a 35-32 loss to the Titans.

As Adam Stites pointed out last week, quarterback Derek Carr has been quietly playing some of the best football of his career this season, putting himself in the MVP conversation:

No quarterback with more than three starts in 2019 has a higher completion percentage than Carr. He ranks in the top 10 in both passer rating and yards per attempt, and it’s hard to imagine the Raiders would be in the postseason hunt without him.

It also helps that Carr has weapons like Jacobs in his backfield. Jacobs is on pace to run away with NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year this season, having rushed for 811 yards and seven touchdowns. He has already set a rookie record for the Raiders, well surpassing the 697 yards that Marcus Allen put up in 1982. He is also the first Raider to have more than five rushing touchdowns in his first eight games.

The offensive line, featuring veteran additions like Trent Brown and Richie Incognito, has improved, too. Last season, Carr was sacked 51 times. So far in 2019, the Raiders have given up just 12 sacks through nine games. The Raiders’ tight end corps, led by Darren Waller, looks like one of the best in the league.

On defense, rookies like Clelin Ferrell and Maxx Crosby are hitting their stride with six sacks combined on the season. Offseason signee Benson Mayowa leads the defense with seven sacks. The Raiders had 13 sacks during all of last season, and already have 20 in 2019. That pass rush has helped shore up one of the worst passing defenses in the league. The Raiders have also given up just six rushing touchdowns this season, and rank 10th in the league allowing just 98.4 yards per game on the ground.

But before you start calling the Raiders the NFL’s new world beaters, bear in mind that they don’t have a win over a team that is currently projected to make the playoffs. The good news is that their schedule gets even easier from here on out. Their remaining opponents on the season have a combined record of 24-42:

The toughest remaining game for the Raiders will take place on Dec. 1 when they travel to Arrowhead Stadium to play the Chiefs. The Chiefs beat the Raiders, 28-10, in Week 2, but they will likely face a much better Raiders team the second time. And the Chiefs look more vulnerable, with losses to the Colts, Texans, Packers, and now Titans.

AFC West standings:

1. Kansas City Chiefs (6-4)

2. Oakland Raiders (5-4)

3. Los Angeles Chargers (4-6)

4. Denver Broncos (3-6)

While the Raiders can win the AFC West and go to the playoffs by upsetting the Chiefs, they also have a shot as a wild card team. At 5-4, they’re currently sitting as a projected seventh seed in the AFC Wild Card.

The 5-4 Steelers, who knocked off the Rams on Sunday, have an edge over Oakland because of their better conference record. Pittsburgh is currently half a game up on Oakland because it’s played one more AFC game than Oakland has. But the rest of the Raiders’ opponents are in the AFC, so they can gain some ground over the Steelers, who play the NFC’s Cardinals on Dec. 8.

AFC Wild Card standings:

5. Buffalo Bills (6-3)

6. Pittsburgh Steelers (5-4)

7. Oakland Raiders (5-4)

8. Indianapolis Colts (5-4)

Oakland can get to double-digit wins this season — and who would’ve thought?! Besides Gruden, who is evidently loving every minute of this:

What’s even cooler is that a late-season run could give the Raiders momentum before they officially pack up for Las Vegas.

Is there a better way for a franchise to come into a new city? Vegas has never had an NFL team before, and not only is it getting Gruden and stars like Carr, Jacobs, Harris, and Waller, it may be getting a team on the rise. The Raiders also have a pair of first-round picks for 2020 to add even more potential franchise talent.

Vegas fans might have embraced the Raiders regardless, but this year’s team might be sealing their faith.