The above link takes you to a recap of the Oakland Raiders thrilling overtime victory over the Kansas City Chiefs yesterday.
SportsReaction
After that win yesterday the Oakland Raiders record stands at 5-4; only a half game behind the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC West. But should the Raiders be taken seriously as a playoff contender? After all, they are only one game above .500, and just one game ahead of the San Diego Chargers--a team I don’t think anybody would hesitate to say is better than Oakland (even though Oakland beat them in week five).
Looking at the combined record of the teams Oakland has faced this season shows that their combined winning percentage is only .452 (33-44). This is the reason the Raiders have such good offensive and defensive statistics this season (9th in the NFL in total offense - 361.0 yds/game, and 7th in total defense -309.6 yds allowed/game).
But the second half of the season won’t be so welcoming for Oakland. The combined records of the teams they face is 29-27 and includes match ups against great teams like Indianapolis and Pittsburgh (next game).
So while their third down conversion percentage is due for improvement (26th in the NFL - 33.8%), I don’t think you'll see Oakland’s offense and defense continue to rank in the top third of the league.
When looking at their remaining schedule in detail there’s only one game they should definitely be favored in (at home vs. Denver in Week 15). The other games include road match ups against Pittsburgh, San Diego, Jacksonville, Kansas City, and home games against Miami, and Indianapolis.
When you combine this with the fact that they cannot stop the run (26th in the NFL - 124.8 yds/allowed per game) and can’t win on the road (1-3) it’s not hard for me to forecast a team that goes 2-5 the rest of the season and finishes with a record of 7-9 and misses the playoffs.
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