In the latest NFL Power Rankings article done by ESPN, the Raiders have fallen down to No. 23 after their Week 14 loss to the Rams.
Before last week, the Raiders were inside the top 18 and were climbing near a potential playoff push. But sitting at 5-8, the 2022 season is all but over for the Raiders.
The biggest reason for their fall in the power rankings has been their inability to play well on both sides of the ball for an entire half, let alone a whole game. Here is what senior writer Paul Gutierrez had to say about the team this season:
“Sure, the defense is the Raiders’ weak link — giving up a 98-yard drive to Baker Mayfield 48 hours after he joined the Rams is an all-time collapse — but the high-powered offense is not without blame, either. Simply put, Las Vegas, in its first year under the new management of coach Josh McDaniels and GM Dave Ziegler, has not been able to put together a complete game.
Call it growing pains. Call it poor playcalling. You can even blame injuries, as Pro Bowl tight end Darren Waller and wide receiver Hunter Renfrow have missed most of the season. Whatever the reason, 12 of the Raiders’ 13 outings have been one-score games, and they are just 5-8.”
Up next are the New England Patriots, who are looking to earn their eighth win of the season. This will be Josh McDaniels’ first chance to face the Patriots after coaching in New England for the last decade.
