Oakland Raiders Predicted To Reach AFC Championship

The Oakland Raiders took the next step in their outline for getting back to being one of the best teams in the NFL by making the playoffs.

Next on the list will be winning the AFC West and at least one playoff game. It certainly seems like they have the pieces slotting into place now. Derek Carr was an MVP hopeful before a broken leg derailed his momentum late in the 2016 season. Khalil Mack has established himself as one of the best young defensive players in the game. The offensive line is big, bad and beastly. Now throw Marshawn Lynch into the mix and it’s hard not to feel optimistic about this team.

Sure there are plenty of questions left to answer on defense. It was their clear Achilles heel last season. That’s why it wasn’t a surprise they spent their 1st, 2nd and 3rd round draft choices on that side of the ball. It’s hope a youthful infusion of athletes will get that group going. After all it’s going to take a full team effort to challenge the Patriots for the AFC crown.

Something NFL.com analyst Eliot Harrison believes is possible.

"Oakland Raiders: Oakland makes it to the AFC Championship Game“I’m riding the Raiders hype train all the way through summer camp, preseason, 17 weeks of football and on through January. All eyes are on Marshawn Lynch, and for good reason. The guy is a certifiable star, and at this stage of his career, perhaps a borderline Hall of Famer. From a purely strategic standpoint, Lynch’s presence could work wonders for Oakland’s defense. With Latavius Murray, the Raiders’ ground game was full of peaks and valleys. In fact, you couldn’t count on anyone in Oakland’s backfield last year to close out games. In Lynch, the Raiders may have found their Dennis Eckersley. Even if Lynch isn’t a closer, he could provide Oakland pass rushers with the extra rest they need, a la Zeke Elliott’s effect on a verrrrry mediocre defense in Dallas last season. We forgot to mention that Derek Carr is an MVP candidate. We also forgot to mention Khalil Mack is an MVP candidate.”"

Youth, experience and talent are reaching fever pitch

The Raiders are no doubt itching to get back to the postseason. Anybody with eyes could tell they weren’t at their best without Carr. Getting him into January with a solid running game? That sounds like the recipe for success. More than ever it feels like the old guard in the AFC is threatened by a new wave of teams led by young quarterbacks. Carr is joined by Marcus Mariota to challenge Tom Brady and Ben Roethlisberger for the AFC throne.

Sooner or later those teams are going to meet, and it will be glorious.