Oakland Raiders look like a playoff team this year

November 1, 2015; Oakland, CA, USA; Oakland Raiders quarterback Derek Carr (4) passes the football against the New York Jets during the third quarter at O.co Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

Could this be the year the Oakland Raiders break their 12-year playoff drought?

I’ve been telling Raiders fans all year to this point to temper their expectations of the Raiders. I thought the team had the talent to make the playoffs but there were still some things that needed fixing. Plus this is a young team that would make the mistakes young players make to keep the Raiders out of the playoffs.

But now, all of the media around the NFL have taken notice as many of their power-rankings reflect that. They say the NFL really is a better place when the Raiders are contenders in the playoffs. And there are definitely reasons to believe that is the case this year.

Turn the page to see those reasons.

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