Oakland Raiders Picked As AFC Cinderella

It’s staggering to think 14 years have passed since the Oakland Raiders made the playoffs, but expectations are for that to change.

Following years of mediocre-to-appalling football that saw no winning seasons since their Super Bowl defeat in winter of 2003, it finally looks like they have the stability at the top and the talent at the bottom to finally pull this franchise out of the mud and back into the thick of the NFL title chase. Optimism reigns around this 2016 team, flush with young playmakers and an experienced coaching staff that knows how to win.

The question is are they ready to take on a murderous AFC West division to get it done? Seems a number of the experts think so. NFL.com picked them as one of three AFC team poised for a run.

"“There was a temptation to project the Raiders at 10 wins based on their talent. They are the trendiest offseason team by far given how well Derek Carr and Amari Cooper performed together last year. Khalil Mack took another massive step forward and the Raiders drafted a potential playmaker at safety in the first round (Karl Joseph). The biggest reason for excitement in Oakland, though, might be their offensive line. Kelechi Osemele was at the top of the free-agent market and can stay at his natural position thanks to talented left tackle Donald Penn coming back. Across the board, Oakland might have the second-best offensive line in football on paper, and the team has a Pro Bowl running back coming off his best season in Latavius Murray. The division could also be ripe for the taking with a few teams primed to take a step back. This is the rose-colored version of the Raiders’ preseason, of course. The team is picking up on the high, taking jabs at the Denver Broncos on Twitter and flexing some offseason muscle.”"

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Good news comes in from the outside as well. The Denver Broncos, though world champions have lost a number of key players including Peyton Manning, Malik Jackson and Danny Trevathan. They will either be starting Paxton Lynch (a rookie) or Mark Sanchez under center. San Diego still has question with their offensive line and now their secondary after losing Eric Weddle.

To top it off, the Kansas City Chiefs may have to forge ahead this season without star pass rusher Justin Houston due to injury. The window is open. Maybe not as wide as some would like but it’s certainly there for the taking. All the Oakland Raiders have to do is seize it.

Whether they will depends on the work they put in leading up to the season. Until they prove otherwise, this is still a team with a losing record. It’s about forcing everybody, including themselves, to believe they’re going to win.

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