3 reasons why the Chargers will win the AFC West in 2022
By Jason Reed
2. The Las Vegas Raiders' defense is simply too bad to win the division
The Las Vegas Raiders might have one of the most fun offenses to watch in the league next season. Adding Davante Adams is no small feat as the offensive side of the ball is loaded with weapons and has an offensive-minded head coach in Josh McDaniels.
Granted, McDaniels' first head-coaching gig went up in flames and the Raiders are the only team in the division that does not have an elite quarterback, but that is beside the point. That is not the reason why the Raiders won't win the division.
Instead, the thing that is ultimately going to hold the Raiders back this upcoming season is the defensive side of the ball. Raiders fans will point at Maxx Crosby (who is great) and Chandler Jones as proof that the defense is fine. It isn't.
Jones is undoubtedly past his prime what he produced last season simply is not enough to overcome the Raiders' defensive deficiencies. The secondary is atrocious and teams are going to be able to tear the Raiders' defense apart this upcoming season.
This is the same struggle that the Chargers had last season and we will likely see a similar Raiders team as last year's Chargers. They will have an explosive offense with a horrendous defense that makes them lose games.
In fact, it will be even worse for the Raiders because they have Derek Carr instead of Justin Herbert. In the NFC, the Raiders probably could be a wild-card team. In the AFC West, they will be the last-place team with a losing record.