After a really disappointing start to the season, the Raiders turned things around midway through the year. Antonio Pierce had the Raiders playing hard and they nearly snuck into the postseason.
But despite the late-season success, everyone is expecting the Raiders to regress this year. Many see their 8-9 record as a fluke and expect them to be among the worst teams in the AFC.
In a recent article by Pro Football Focus, they took a look at every team’s projected win total ahead of the 2024 season. Right now, the Raiders are projected at 6.5 wins on most sportsbooks, which is among the lowest in the AFC. But here is why PFF is taking the OVER 6.5 wins for the Raiders this year:
Aidan O’Connell is a big question mark for this team. If he plays at even an average level, the Raiders could surprise this upcoming season. The defensive line looks to be very imposing, and O’Connell isn’t going to lack weapons on offense, as the team returns Davante Adams and Jakobi Meyers while featuring a two-headed monster at tight end.
The AFC West looks relatively thin outside of the defending champion Chiefs, so don’t be too surprised if the Raiders can take advantage.
The Raiders went 4-2 in the division last season and that will be tough to do again with all of the improvements that the Chargers have made this offseason. However, the Raiders have had a lot of success against the Broncos and did defeat the Chiefs in Kansas City last year.
If the Raiders can go 3-3 (or better) in the AFC West, they should have no problem going over their projected win total. A lot will be riding on the shoulders of Aidan O’Connell and/or Gardner Minshew, but this is a significantly more talented team than they were a year ago.