2. Oakland Raiders
Despite a loss in Week 8, the Oakland Raiders are still alive in the playoff mix with a 3-4 record. They are just two games behind the Kansas City Chiefs — who are still without Patrick Mahomes for now — in the AFC West standings and are also two games out of the final Wild Card spot in the conference. Thus, Jon Gruden’s team won’t be packing it in anytime soon.
Because of how good rookie running back Josh Jacobs has been this season, people may be overlooking that Derek Carr has been impressive in the 2019 season. Make no mistake, he’s not a superstar at the position but he has made enough plays in plenty of games to win and has also limited his mistakes. One thing hurting him and the offense, though, is a lack of consistent pass-catching weapons.
Tight end Darren Waller has been a breakout stud for the Raiders offense and, when healthy, Tyrell Williams has been good this season. Outside of those two players and Jacobs occasionally out of the backfield, though, Oakland lacks players that can be reliable weapons for Carr and Gordon could be that.
At his best, Gordon is a guy that can take the top off of defenses with his speed, make plays in the red zone and even keep defenses guessing with his crossing routes in the intermediate parts of the field. That’s the exact type of player that Carr and the Raiders offense need and, as they look to make a push for the playoffs, Gordon could be the answer to help give them a jumpstart.