LA Chargers: Predicting the AFC West standings after free agency
By Jason Reed
3. Las Vegas Raiders, 7-10 record
The Las Vegas Raiders looked poised to make a run in the playoffs and were one of the most exciting teams in the league at the halfway point. They were the only team to beat the Kansas City Chiefs in the regular season and looked as if they finally figured out the Jon Gruden-Derek Carr relationship.
Then they came sputtering back down to earth, missing the playoffs entirely and they were not even close. Another year, another season without the Raiders making the playoffs and that will be the case in 2021 as well.
I am someone who is higher on Derek Carr than most NFL fans but that does not matter. The Raiders have had a really interesting offseason thus far and quite frankly, have not improved from a year ago.
They did get a solid edge rusher in Yannick Ngakoue, which was needed, but they also lost a pass-catcher in Nelson Agholor. The offensive line is not great and they overpaid to keep Kolton Miller around. They did not add enough to the defense and hired Gus Bradley, who has made his career out of benefitting from star players on defense.
This is a team that is stuck in the middle, in my opinion, and I think they float around .500 before the wheels fall off late in the season. We do not have the exact order of the games yet, but they will split with the LA Chargers and Denver Broncos and go 0-2 against the Kansas City Chiefs for a 2-4 record in the division.