Before the game between the Raiders and Chargers was over in Oakland, the Broncos game against the Falcons went final. The Broncos fell to the Falcons to post their first loss of the season, opening the door for the Raiders to tie them atop the AFC West.
The Raiders got a little help from a botched snap on the would-be game-tying field goal attempt, but they would hold on for the win.
Not only are the Raiders now atop the division and tied for the best record in the AFC, but because their win came over a division rival, according to ESPN they are currently the number one seed in the conference.
It’s obviously early yet, so talk of playoff seeds is premature.
That being said, it’s a good feeling to win on the same day as your biggest division rival loses and even bigger to join them as division leaders at 4-1.
That one loss for both teams came at the hands of the Falcons, with the Broncos losing 23-16 and the Raiders losing 35-28.
Even still, things aren’t all equal. The Broncos are still the reigning Super Bowl champions and their victories have been pretty decisive, and mostly by virtue of their still dominant defense.
Derek Carr is enjoying the win and the 4-1 start, but there’s a long road ahead and this division is still the Broncos’ to lose.
“It’s nice but the road still goes through Denver,” said Derek Carr. “They are Super Bowl champs, division champs, I will always pay their respects to them. That’s what they earned. We’ve earned absolutely nothing yet. We’ve earned four wins in five games, which is a great feeling. It feels very nice, trust me. Don’t twist that, it feels real nice, but we haven’t done anything yet.”
As usual, that’s the right attitude coming from the Raiders franchise quarterback. Enjoy the win, enjoy the place in the standings. But know the only time it really matters is when the last game is played.
Loading comments...