By Jordan McGlory, Courier Staff Writer
On November 27, the Oakland Raiders won their ninth game of the season, tying them for the best record in the AFC with the Patriots.
Recently, the Raiders have been looking like a legitimate Superbowl contenders this season, if not in the next few years.
But their unprecedented success has not always been the case. Since 2001, the Raiders have been had a history of disappointing draft picks and losing seasons. For over, the team did not have a winning season.
This year however, the Raiders boast a 9-2 record, with their only losses coming to two other great teams: the Atlanta Falcons (7-4) and Kansas City Chiefs (8-3). Currently, they hold the top spot in the AFC West, and ESPN has ranked them as one of the top 3 teams out of all 32 teams in the NFL.
Derek Carr, their starting quarterback and captain, has kept the Raiders in the game with his wonderful playmaking and passing abilities on the field, vaulting the Raider offense to the top 5 in yards. Carr has helped the Raiders rally in four 4th quarter comebacks so far, and is having one of the best seasons in his career.
However, the Raiders defense is the main problem right now. In recent games, it has given up too many big plays by the opposition, and it is ranked almost dead last for allowed yards. Nevertheless, Raider Nation expresses optimism at the increasingly successful team.
There has been much talk that the Raiders will be moving to either Los Angeles or Las Vegas, since sharing their stadium with the Oakland Athletics has been causing many problems. However, many fans in the Bay Area are not happy about their beloved team leaving, especially since they are looking really good right now.
Fans so far have been extremely enthusiastic about the Raiders, enjoying their newfound success. Coach Jack Del Rio is spending his second season with the team, back from coaching in his hometown of Castro Valley. The team has immensely improved since his hiring as the head coach.
Hopefully, the Oakland Raiders can keep up the recent success and extend it to the NFL playoffs. It has been a very long time since this team has made some noise, so this is a big deal for Raider Nation.
