The AFC West is one of the toughest divisions in all of football, making capturing the division title particularly difficult. If the Oakland Raiders take full advantage of their potential, though, I believe they can do so.
The Raiders finally appear to be a team that can challenge NFL competition on a regular basis, something that they haven’t been able to do in quite a while. The team’s brass has slowly but surely built a strong foundation for the Silver and Black, and it is my belief that they will take full advantage of their abilities in 2016.
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The team lacks experience, yes, but they showed that they are capable of competing, finishing just shy of .500 with a 7-9 record on the year. Oakland’s will to win was evident in 2015, as they pushed their rivals to their limits, splitting their divisional games 3-3. Being competitive within your division is incredibly important, especially for a young team that is on the brink of playing great football.
If Oakland plays to their potential next season, there’s a good chance that they can improve on their divisional record. They’ve proven that they can compete with, and in some circumstances defeat, the teams that reside in the AFC West – why is it so crazy to think that they can do the same against other opponents?
Their roster is stocked with potential, as the team possesses a talented player at nearly every position group. Having skilled football players spread across the field is ideal, as it ensures that there is no major weakness for the opponent to exploit. Perhaps the most important position to have a capable football player at is quarterback, a position that the Raiders should feel confident about.
Derek Carr has proven to be a capable quarterback and can surely perform with the best of the best in terms of competition. The 25-year-old passer had a breakout season in 2015, throwing for 3,987 yards with 32 touchdowns and 13 interceptions. His strong year was impressive, and it leads me to believe that he can steer his team to victory under any circumstances.
A big reason for my confidence in Carr stems from his new found receiving weapon, Amari Cooper. The rookie wideout was the team’s best pass catcher last season, recording 72 receptions for 1,070 yards and six touchdowns. Michael Crabtree, while talented, simply didn’t provide the same level of excitement – that’s not to say he isn’t a vital part of their success, though, as having two legitimate options on the outside is key to an effective aerial attack.
Another promising component of the offense is their running game, led by Latavius Murray. He pieced together a strong year, both as a rusher and receiving option. Murray carried the ball 266 times for 1,066 yards and six touchdowns. His rushing yardage was good enough for seventh in the league, an impressive feat. That being said, he also contributed heavily as a pass-catcher, hauling in 41 catches for 232 yards.
The talented running back caps off the skill positions for the Oakland Raiders. Carr, Cooper, Crabtree, and Murray give the team a solid group of players to build around. The skill players, though, will rely on the team’s offensive line to create blocks for them to properly run their plays.
The unit is headlined by a pair of skilled linemen in Donald Penn and Kelechi Osemele, two players that are more than capable of making an impact in the trenches. Having said that, the remaining starters on their line – Gabe Jackson, Rodney Hudson, and Austin Howard – are good football plaeyrs, and should provide more than enough time for Carr and company to operate.
On the other side of the ball, the Raiders are just as impressive.
Khalil Mack is unquestionably the defense’s best player, and perhaps even one of the best players in the league. After a less than great rookie season, the 6-3, 231-pound pass-rusher put together a tremendous year in 2015, recording 57 tackles with 15 sacks and a pair of forced fumbles. His progression and growth as a player will be a major factor in the team’s success moving forward.
Sean Smith is another defender that the team will rely on, as they scooped him up in free agency to play opposite of David Amerson. The veteran defensive back is generally viewed as a top-tier corner, and should help improve the team’s defensive efforts in passing situations.
Joining the aforementioned cornerbacks in the secondary are Reggie Nelson, an experienced veteran, and Karl Joseph, a promising rookie out of West Virginia. The knowledge of Nelson should help Joseph transition into the league, as he’ll have someone’s brain to pick about the nuances of the position.
All in all, I believe that Oakland has the right mixture of youth, talent, and experience to make some serious noise next season. Their team, both offense and defense, is loaded with good football players. Looking at their divisional record from last season, and the amount of growth they’ve made as a team, I see no reason why they can’t win the AFC West in 2016.
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The San Diego Chargers are in the midst of re-building, the Denver Broncos lost a number of key components from their Super Bowl roster, and the Kansas City Chiefs can only go as far as Alex Smith takes them. I think that winning the division will be tough, but I think it’s something that the Raiders can accomplish if everything goes as planned in terms of free agent acquisitions and player development.