Reflecting On The Raiders Season So Far – Sports Illustrated

If you would have told any fan of the Las Vegas Raiders that they would be 5-2 heading into their bye week, they'd probably be pretty happy with that result.

Going into the details of everything the team has gone through to reach that point, it makes it even more remarkable to say they're tied for the best record in the AFC.

The resignation of former head coach Jon Gruden is of course one of, if not the biggest story to come out of the NFL so far this season.

His departure and all of the negative aspects behind it could have torpedoed the Raiders season, but instead, it has seemed to galvanize them.

One thing that's been constant the whole way has been the Raiders deep passing attack that's been arguably the best in the league.

Quarterback Derek Carr is on pace to have the most prolific season of his career, firmly putting to rest his moniker as being a check-down artist.

He's seen his young receiving core take a big jump, as the Raiders were the only team entering last Sunday with four receivers having 300 yards or more.

That group of tight-end Darren Waller and receivers Henry Ruggs III, Bryan Edwards, and Hunter Renfrow have quickly become one of the better ones in the league.

They've been able to mask a largely ineffective running game, impacted both by injuries and offensive line struggles.

Defensively, coordinator Gus Bradley has engineered a significant turnaround that has seen the Raiders defense only have three sacks less than they had all of last season.

Maxx Crosby and Yannick Ngakoue have formed a potent partnership at the defensive end, and the performance at the second and third levels of the defense has been much better.

The Raiders look like a team that has a lot more balance on both sides of the ball, something that teams that make the playoffs often have.

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Reflecting On The Raiders Season So Far - Sports Illustrated