1. Week 2 vs the Saints
It s no secret that The Saints are going to be a test of wills for anyone in The NFL this season and they should prove to be a decent measuring stick for playoff success. In fact, with Drew Brees healthy again, the 13th best-ranked defense in the league, The Saints will prove to be that crucial first test in reaching the playoffs.
Of course, with Derek Carr, Nelson Agholor, Josh Jacobs, Jason Witten and litany of other weapons The Raiders should be good to go, but what if they aren’t ? What if this game exposes them as pretenders for the playoffs instead of the contenders that everyone wants them to be?
In the end, the playoffs start here.
2. Week 4 vs The Bills
Believe it or not, The Buffalo Bills could very well stand in the way of The Las Vegas Raiders getting to the playoffs. Not only is that evident by their 10-6 record last season, but also due to them being the third-best defense in the league as well. That s not going to be easy to get past for Carr and company, which could lead to a very close game.
Think about it! In the end, this is going to be one of those key games where Carr either must put up or shut up. If he does get shut up by The Bills though, that could be the catalyst for The Raiders to make Marcus Mariota their starting Quarterback going forward and leaving Carr as their second string.
3. Week 5 vs the Chiefs
This is where the Raiders either need to put up or shut up and they will have to do so in week five against the Kansas City Chiefs. Now, the Kansas City Chiefs blew out The Raiders in both games last season, which is why they are going to have to come up with a new strategy to unseat the defending Super Bowl Champion.
Las Vegas is going to have to do a lot of work offensively to stay in this game, which means Derek Carr needs to put up godlike numbers.
4. Week 6 vs the Buccaneers
Let s be honest here. This game depends on what version of Tom Brady shows up for this game. If he s the precision passer that slowly trots his way downfield, he will most likely win this game. If he s the aging veteran that struggles during key moments of the game, however, The Raiders have a legitimate shot at winning this game.
The Raiders will also need to step up in this game and find ways to get Brady frustrated.
5. Week 9 & 16 vs Broncos
Broncos versus Raiders. Who wins? While Raider Nation might jump at the chance to proclaims Las Vegas the rightful winners, there isn t a lot of evidence to support that. In fact, between each team handing the other a loss last season and each finishing 7-9 as well, this matchup will serve as a true measuring stick for the entire division.
If the Raiders want to win these games and make the playoffs, they need to dominate the entire game. That means Carr needs to step up and move the ball down the field. Josh Jacobs will also need to step up in a meaningful way to make sure the Raiders offense doesn’t become one dimensional.
On the other side of the ball, the defense will need stops and lots of them. They need to play man coverage and force the Broncos wide receivers to fight for the ball on every play. Lastly, they need to shut down the run and force The Broncos to make mistakes offensively.
In the end, it s going to be a war of attrition and if the Raiders are as good as they have been touted to be, they will win this series of games. If they don t, they are just pretenders in a league doomed to be dominated by the Kansas City Chiefs.
