After the Oakland Raiders won their third straight home game today, I'm left with mixed feelings about this season. The good is that they're playing strong enough to beat the teams they're supposed to beat. The bad is that they struggle doing it and have yet to show they can dominate throughout an entire game. But as the post-game chant today went; "a win is a win, we'll take it!"
I try not to torture myself with the what ifs. Like, what if we didn't have season ending injuries to key players like Karl Joseph, Johnathan Abram and Arden Key. What if Vontaze Burfict didn't get suspended for the remainder of the season. And of course, what if Antonio Brown didn't lose his mind and turn into a basket case.
But for these What Ifs, the Raiders might be a real contender for this season's NFL crown. But for these What Ifs, I'd be more cocky and comfortable talking about their division leading record. However, I accept the fact that the Raiders team I saw out their struggling to put away an 0-9 bottom-feeder today, will likely get exploited by any playoff caliber team they face.
The Raiders are just not consistent enough in executing and making the plays that score points and stop opponent drives. Actually, the defense did get to the quarterback today (Madd Maxx Crosby - 4 sacks), causing turnovers and getting off the field on third downs. But it takes a team playing consistently great in all phases of the game for four quarters if you wanna wear the league crown, or even be in position to contend for it. The Raiders just aren't there yet, but they have one helluva young player foundation for getting there.
The final good news is that the Raiders will only face one team with a winning record in their remaining six matchups. The one being that tomahawk chopping rival from the midwest that currently has a piece of our division lead. If the Raiders can close out this season with a 5-1 record, they would finish at 11-5, almost guaranteeing them a playoff spot. That, at least for this this season of rebuilding and growth, we Raiders fans will take!
Win, Lose or Tie!
Final Score
Bengals 10
Raiders 17
A Change is Gonna Come - Sam Cooke 1963
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