Last week, there were some outlets that had the 6-2 Raiders pegged as a top five team. Considering their record had them tied for the third best in the league, it was not far-fetched. But other outlets didn’t agree and so their ranking held them just outside the top five. The one thing missing was a win over a top team. They got that in a big way with their decisive victory over the Broncos Sunday night.
Let’s check in on those rankings now
SB Nation: 4
Last week: 10
Losses to the Atlanta Falcons and Kansas City Chiefs don’t seem so bad for the Raiders now that both those teams have proven to be real contenders. But until the convincing 30-20 win in primetime on Sunday, the Raiders were mostly just picking off wins against weaker competition. After starting the year with some terrible defense, the 7-2 record looks a little more legitimate now.
Pro Football Focus: 4
Last week: 5
Not far behind the Cowboys are the rising Oakland Raiders. Derek Carr, Amari Cooper, and Michael Crabtree have been impressive this season, but it’s the recent uptick in defensive performance that has truly moved this team forward. Against the Broncos in Week 9, Khalil Mack again gave us a glimpse of the dominant edge defender we saw over the entirety of the 2015 season. Through the last two weeks, Mack has recorded 21 QB pressures, more than any other NFL defender in that span.
Offense: 2
Defense: 11
CBS Sports: 5
Last week: 6
That big, physical offensive line can control defenses. That makes it easier on the entire team.
Sports Illustrated: 4
Last week: 5
Monday night’s cathartic win over Denver was the football version of that Christmas Story scene where Ralphie just beats the hell out of the school bully. “Something had happened. A fuse blew, and I had gone out of my skull.” The rage had been building for a long time. Oakland finally unleashed it in a flurry of haymakers.
Pro Football Talk: 3
Last week: 4
Making The Silver And Black Relevant Again.
ESPN: 3
Last week: 6
Through nine weeks, the Raiders are in sole possession of first place in the AFC West for the first time since Week 12 in 2011. They missed the playoffs that season, but this year could be different.
NFL.com: 5
Last week: 9
Yahoo!: 4
Last week: 8
If Latavius Murray is going to play like he did on Sunday night, when he rushed for 114 yards and three touchdowns, the Raiders’ ceiling goes up. The offense looked strong and balanced against a very good defense.
Average rank: 4
Last week 6.85
Average top ten:
1 New England Patriots 1
2 Dallas Cowboys 2
3 Oakland Raiders 4
4 Atlanta Falcons 4.25
5 Kansas City Chiefs 4.5
6 Seattle Seahawks 5.63
7 Denver Broncos 6.75
8 New York Giants 10.75
9 Minnesota Vikings 12
10 Washington 12.5
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