Oakland Raiders: Are they ready to unseat the Patriots?

The New England Patriots are favorites to return to the Super Bowl. But if one team can challenge them for the AFC crown it’s the Oakland Raiders. How close are they?

The Oakland Raiders had a breakthrough season in 2016. They went 12-4 and appeared in the playoffs but a broken fibula for quarterback Derek Carr cost them a realistic shot at making a deep run.

The Raiders offense ranked 8th overall in the NFL, 13th in passing yards and 6th in rushing offense. They have an emerging superstar in quarterback Derek Carr and wide receiver Amari Cooper has become one of the best in the game.

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If that wasn’t enough they signed free agent tight end Jared Cook to give Carr a dangerous target over the middle and running back Marshawn Lynch came out of retirement to play for his hometown team.

Lynch’s legs will be fresh after his temporary retirement from the Seattle Seahawks. The Raiders let Latavius Murray leave in free agency but Marshawn Lynch will step right in and more than make up the difference for what they lost.

They also have talented young backs in Jalen Richard and DeAndre Washington who impressed last season. They can offer an excellent change of pace when Marshawn Lynch comes off the field.

The offensive line that paves the way for these backs is a good one. All-Pro Kelechi Osemele anchors the line at left guard and there are two pro bowlers in tackle Donald Penn and center Rodney Hudson.

So on offense, I think the Raiders can give the Patriots a run for their money. However, it’s on the defensive side of the ball where the Raiders need to show more consistency. Especially with all the talent the New England Patriots have on offense.

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But it’s not as if the Oakland Raiders don’t have talent. Defensive End Khalil Mack has posted double-digit sack totals each of the last two seasons. However, even with Mack, the Raiders only had 25 sacks as a team in 2016 for last in the league.

Outside linebacker Bruce Irvin is also a good pass rusher and registered 7 sacks but more importantly six forced fumbles. So Irvin is a playmaker on defense for sure but to challenge the Patriots they’ll need more.

The Oakland Raiders need a big year from DE Mario Edwards Jr., both against the run and as a pass rusher. They need OLB Shilique Calhoun to become a force as a pass rusher too. So the talent is there to put pressure on quarterbacks and the Raiders need that talent to kick in.

In the secondary, the Oakland Raiders have a rising star in strong safety Karl Joseph. They drafted cornerback Gareon Conley in the first round and he may challenge to start at some point during the season.

The Oakland Raiders came a long way last season and had it not been for an injury to Derek Carr, they may have gone a lot further. We’ll never know. But what we know this year is that the Raiders are a more talented team than 2016.

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I, like many NFL analysts have the New England Patriots repeating as Super Bowl champs but the Oakland Raiders have the ability to disrupt those plans. The Raiders have an MVP caliber quarterback, more fire power on offense and the defense is steadily improving.

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Head coach Jack Del Rio must now get the most out of the talent at his disposal. And if that talent matures and develops this season like I believe it will, then the Oakland Raiders just might be the team coming out of the AFC and not the New England Patriots.

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