NFL week 8 power rankings round-up: Win shoots Raiders back up from depths

Two things happened in week 7, 1) Derek Carr finally got the KC monkey off his back after losing 5-straight to them and 2) Oakland beat KC and snapped their 4-game losing streak on the season.

The past month has been ugly, but the Oakland Raiders played in what was the most exciting game played all year and things finally came together for them.

So after beating what many felt was the best team in the league in the Kansas City Chiefs lets see where the Raiders stand in the rankings.

SB Nation: 10

Last Week: 30

ESPN: 10

2.5 percent. Thursday's win over the Chiefs might have saved the Raiders' season, but there's still a lot of work left to do. They won't play in Oakland again until after Thanksgiving, and they currently have the third-toughest remaining strength of schedule. Good luck with that.

Last Week: 20

Washington Post: 18

The win over the Chiefs on Thursday night saved the Raiders’ season. It was a stirring victory and a good start for the NFL in trying to return the focus to the football being played on the field. But the Raiders had considerable help. Their first TD should have been negated by offensive pass interference and a first-half turnover generated by the Chiefs was nullified by a phantom call. The suspension of RB Marshawn Lynchwon’t hurt much, given his lack of production.

Last Week: 29

Bleacher Report: 22

The Oakland Raiders have spent a lot of money building what is supposed to be one of the best offenses in the NFL. Against the Kansas City Chiefs, that offense finally showed up.

Perhaps more importantly, the offensive line showed up. It's been the key to success during the Derek Carr era but has struggled in 2017. Against the Chiefs, the line opened holes in the run game and didn't allow a sack.

It was also great to see wideout Amari Cooper explode in a game where the Raiders had their backs against the wall. Like the line, Cooper has disappointed this season. He was a one-man wrecking crew against the Chiefs.

Defensively, Oakland got some punch from pass-rusher Khalil Mack and Denico Autry—and Autry is a guy who I believe can help boost the pass rush moving forward. The Raiders gave up a lot of yards, but they also pressured quarterback Alex Smith and prevented the Chiefs from building on their lead late.

Defense is still a major question mark for the Raiders, but Thursday night's performance showed the offense just might be able to carry the squad the way it did lat year.

Last Week: 28

Niners Nation: 22

Last Week: 26

NJ.com: 20

Derek Carr saved Oakland's season with an amazing game-winning drive on Thursday Night Football. Can they build on it?

Last Week: 25

NY Daily News: Not Ranked in Top 15

Andy Reid & Co. probably still can't believe how they coughed up a double-digit lead to the Raiders

Last Week: Not Ranked

Yahoo Sports: 20

I’m at least curious to see what the Raiders offense looks like with Marshawn Lynch suspended. He hasn’t been great yet. Is it him, or has he offensive line fallen back? Assuming the suspension doesn’t get overturned on appeal, we’ll get a chance to find out.

Last Week: 21

Average Ranking: 15.25

The Raiders won arguably the biggest game they have played in years against a Chiefs team that has owned them since Andy Reid took over. Derek Carr since coming into the league has only beaten them once prior to this game and played awful. Carr went 29 of 52 for 417 yards 3 Touchdowns and a 101.2 QB rating, in what was arguably one of the best games of his young career.

The Raiders season was hanging in the balance and they desperately needed to win and they did on a short week in Primetime. Jack Del Rio had his team ready for the biggest game of the season and they came out and went blow for blow with a team many thought was the best team in the NFL. Now Oakland goes on a east coast stretch for the next 2 weeks to try and continue to turn their season around.

Next up for the Raiders (3-4) on the road are the Buffalo Bills (4-2).

Last Week: 25.75