NFLBy Chase Ruttig on

Last season, the Oakland Raiders were a young and talented team that shined at times, but ultimately failed to improve enough to end their postseason drought. Head coach Jack Del Rio’s first season with the Raiders ending with a 7-9 finish that had the Silver and Black well out of the playoffs despite periods of encouragement from a young roster.

Particularly noteworthy was the Raiders’ late-season win on the road against the eventual Super Bowl champion Denver Broncos, during which the new look Oakland roster outplayed their AFC West rivals in a statement win.

Still, a losing record was considered a letdown for many in Raider Nation who saw the potential in a young roster that could never get it together to make a push for the Wild Card. Five losses by a touchdown or less made the final difference, putting the Raiders in position to win enough games to make the playoffs despite their 7-9 record last season.

General manager Reggie McKenzie went all-in during free agency after the Raiders’ improvement during the 2015 season. The second-most cap space in the league and an improved young roster allowed McKenzie to chase top talent for the first time. Bruce Irvin, Sean Smith, and Kelechi Osemele all signed with the Silver and Black, adding experience to a team that already had some of the best young talent in the league.

Those offseason additions created plenty of hype, making the Raiders a sexy preseason pick among the national media this summer. A new-look roster and the prospect of third-year improvement for quarterback Derek Carr and Defensive MVP candidate Khalil Mack won over the national experts before the season.

With heightened expectations, the Raiders traveled to the Superdome for a Week 1 game against the New Orleans Saints under pressure to deliver a statement. That statement turned into an early test, as Drew Brees and the Saints pushed the Raiders to the brink on Sunday. Derek Carr and Co. had to prove they could respond to adversity in a shootout that challenged the Raiders to face their demons from last season in a close game.

Down 24-13 after three quarters, Carr and the Raiders offense proved their fourth-quarter struggles from 2015 are behind them. Oakland outscored the Saints 22-10 in the final 15 minutes to come all the way back for a dramatic road win to open the season.

Carr found Seth Roberts open in the endzone with under a minute left to put the Raiders within a PAT of a tie. But head coach Jack Del Rio opted to roll the dice and go for the win with a two-point conversion attempt, rather than going for the tie. Michael Crabtree’s catch on the two-point conversion attempt turned Del Rio’s gamble into a big 35-34 win and a 1-0 record for the season.

The comeback win on the road against a former Super Bowl-winning quarterback in Brees helped to prove the Raiders are capable of big improvement from last year’s team. The team’s young core, especially Carr and second-year receiver Amari Cooper, were phenomenal during the fourth-quarter rally.

Carr finished with 319 yards passing in the win while Cooper had a monster season opener with 137 yards on six catches. Domination from the AC/DC connection drew headlines, while veteran Michael Crabtree picked up where he left off from last season with the game-winning catch and 87 yards of his own. The Raiders’ offense erased any doubts from earlier in the game with their fourth-quarter effort.

Jalen Richard also shined in his NFL debut, giving the Raiders a diamond in the rough as an undrafted free agent. Richard’s 75-yard run provided the turning point of the game as the Oakland offense exploded after the rookie’s big run.

While the Raiders had concerns on defense as Brees picked apart the secondary, the comeback should erase any memories of an up-and-down performance. The question marks take a backseat to the resolve the Raiders showed in finding a way to escape with the win. Even if the Raiders allowed 423 yards passing and struggled for much of the game, what is most important is the 1-0 record at the end of the day. A win gives head coach Jack Del Rio and defensive coordinator Ken Norton Jr. the chance to make adjustments to a confident team, rather than a deflated one this week.

A Week 2 home opener against the Atlanta Falcons will give the Raiders’ defense a chance to redeem itself against another top quarterback in Matt Ryan. More importantly, it gives Oakland a chance to move to 2-0 on the year. A hot start is a must for any of the teams in the AFC West, a division that has three teams considered to have a chance to contend this season.

With all three of those contenders at 1-0 after Week 1, the Raiders’ season opener could prove crucial in early January when the dust settles in a tight division. There is a lot of football left to play, but after answering a tough test, it looks like the Raiders are for real right now. If a shootout win over Drew Brees can be the catalyst to Carr and the Raiders turning close losses from last season to wins in 2016, this team should be around come playoff time as a serious threat to make a potential run.

About Chase Ruttig

Chase Ruttig is a Canadian sportswriter who covers North American sports for various outlets.

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