NFL week 8 power rankings round-up: Loss sends Raiders back to the cellar

Well, the excitement lasted a whole 10 days before the Raiders coaching staff crushed the collective souls of the Raider Nation. They fixed the offense in week 7 and decided that it was best to not be successful in any facet in week 8. Coaching matters more than how much talent you have. The Raiders are proving that in 2017.

Buckle up because it’s clear this is going to be a bumpy ride. With their talent they will look good at times but coaching and scheme have been the difference. Offensive Coordinator Todd Downing is in way over his head and the result is the garbage season of 2017.

At 3-5 the Raiders are still technically in it but at this point it’s already looking like old tradition with the discussion shifting to next year’s draft, still 7 months away. From contending for the Super Bowl to contention for a top 10 pick just like that.

SB Nation: 21

Last Week: 10

ESPN: 21

Look away, Raiders fans. Your team had the fourth-best chances to reach the playoffs prior to the season, according to FPI (55 percent). Since losing five of six, those chances have dipped to 4 percent, which is 13th in the AFC.

Last Week: 10

Washington Post: 23

It’s just not going to happen this season for the Raiders, is it? The uplifting victory over the Chiefs in that memorable Thursday night game should have been a catalyst toward bigger and better things. Instead, even with a long rest, Oakland went to Buffalo and gave a mistake-filled performance in Sunday’s lopsided defeat.

Last Week: 18

Bleacher Report: 26

After the first drive of the game happened, I thought that perhaps the Oakland Raiders offense was back. However, that was pretty much it for the next three quarters. It totally disappeared for a long stretch, which has been a distressing trend this season.

Right now, the Raiders aren't playing well enough to overcome mistakes. Jalen Richard and DeAndre Washington both lost fumbles, and that was too much. The Raiders defense isn't talented enough to stop teams when they do get short fields.

There's too much talent for this offense to be playing the way it has been this season. Maybe we give Derek Carr a bit of a pass and shouldn't, because his inconsistency has been part of the problem. Defensively, the talent isn't there.

This isn't the same Raiders team we saw last year, not by a long shot. Perhaps moving on from offensive coordinator Bill Musgrave—who oversaw the sixth-ranked offense in the NFL last season—was a mistake.

Last Week: 22

Niners Nation: 24

Last Week: 22

NJ.com: 24

Here's a sentence I didn't think would be typed this season: The Raiders are bad. Poor coaching, poor execution, poor attitude.

Last Week: 20

Yahoo: 21

The Raiders had the fewest sacks in the NFL last season. This season only one team (Tampa Bay) has fewer sacks per game than the Raiders, who have 12 in eight games. That’s really hard to explain, given that the Raiders have Khalil Mack. The Raiders overcame the lack of a pass rush last season, but this season it’s catching up to them.

Last Week: 20

Average Ranking: 22.86

This ranking seems about right at this point. The coaches are in over their head and the players seem to lack heart. They are lucky they aren’t lower, they rightfully should be with the way they have played.

Every member of this team needs to do some real soul searching. After years of frustration, Raiders fans finally felt like they could hold their head high. Then this year’s debacle rubbed their faces back in the dirt. Raider Nation deserves better.

Last Week: 15.25