The Raiders are certainly better than their 0-3 record. All three losses have been decided by a touchdown or less and they’ve been in every game so far. But as Bill Parcells once said; “You are what your record says you are.”
The Raiders were viewed as a potential Super Bowl contender entering the season, but those expectations have quickly disappeared. Now, they have the worst record in the NFL through September.
In a recent power rankings list posted by ESPN, the Raiders have fallen from No. 23 in Week 2, all the way down to No. 30. Here is what senior writer Paul Gutierrez had to say about the Raiders and the play of their franchise quarterback:
“Derek Carr is the most polarizing player in franchise history and while the Raiders’ unexpected 0-3 start is not entirely his fault, we all know quarterbacks get too much credit when things are going well and too much blame when things are going wrong.
That said, he is off to an uneven beginning under new coach Josh McDaniels, as Carr has often had a slow start under a new playcaller. Small sample size, obviously, but his passer rating (85.1) and completion rate (60.8%) are both the lowest for him in a season since his rookie year.”
The Raiders still have time to turn things around as the AFC West doesn’t look quite as good as many expected. The Chargers are 1-2 and had some major injuries. The offense for the Broncos looks broken and the Chiefs certainly haven’t played great.
But for the Raiders to get back on track, they must win in Week 4 against the Broncos. If they lose that game, their season is all but over. But a win at home against the Broncos is exactly what this team needs to start building some confidence.