The Oakland Raiders defeated their division rival on Sunday, the San Diego Chargers, in a close match that came down to the wire. The Bolts put up a fight and gave the Silver and Black a challenge, but the game resulted in a 34-31 Raiders victory.
The team's versatility, resilience, and determination to win are gaining the attention of sports analysts all over the sports industry. This is a battle-tested group of young men who are hungry and ready to win. The players aren't content with how they've performed in the early goings, which is a good sign, and they feel as though there's much more ahead of them.
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Here is our updated Power Rankings list, brought to you by NFL Extra Points.
Current Ranking: No. 10
Previous Ranking: No. 11
Movement: Up 1
Analysis: Here's how the Raiders know their starting quarterback is a baller.
It was 4th-and-3. Head coach Jack Del Rio kept his offense out on the field...and Derek Carr threw another out-of-this-world fade route to Michael Crabtree. Touchdown.
Carr continues to make three or four jaw-dropping throws like that every week. Crabtree ends up on the receiving end of his fair share of them. So does Amari Cooper, who caught six balls for 138 yards with a touchdown and a two-point conversion.
Meanwhile, the defense continues to make enough plays—such as the fumble that rookie Karl Joseph recovered from Melvin Gordon to set up that fade pass. That's all the Raiders need if Carr and Co. are going to play like this.
Looking ahead: The last Raiders team to start 4-1? The 2002 Super Bowl one. They'll see how they stack up against Kansas City before making hotel reservations, though.
Current Ranking: No. 12
Previous Ranking: No. 9
Movement: Down 3
Analysis: Jack Del Rio's Raiders are kind of defying logic right now. They've allowed the most yards and the sixth-most points this season, yet they sit at 4-1 overall. The Raiders are 10-6 in games decided by eight or fewer points the past two seasons. Are they bound to regress with those defensive numbers?
**NFL.com
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Current Ranking: No. 10
Previous Ranking: No. 11
Movement: Up 1
Analysis: Another thrilling, late win for the Raiders, who are probably freaking out their fan base with all the close calls. Every game comes down to the wire, with different heroes each week. In Week 4, it was Michael Crabtree and Marquette King. (The latter of whom is flat-out awesome to watch. I don't care if he's a freaking punter. He's awesome.) This past Sunday, it was Amari Cooper and little-known defensive tackle Stacy McGee. A former sixth-round pick, McGee posted four tackles, 1.5 sacks and two forced fumbles on a day Oakland really needed it. #4-1
Current Ranking: No. 10
Previous Ranking: No. 12
Movement: Up 2
Analysis: The Raiders have won by 1, 7, 1 and 3 points. They're wins and it's great to build that base early in the season. But you're also not going to go to the playoffs just off of wins in one-possession games. The start is awesome, but the Raiders will have to play better to keep up a playoff march.
Current Ranking: No. 8
Previous Ranking: No. 11
Movement: Up 3
Analysis: Soon, they could be holding another Super Bowl trophy.
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Current Ranking: No. 8
Previous Ranking: No. 9
Movement: Up 1
Analysis: QB Derek Carr looks like an MVP candidate through five weeks, and Jack Del Rio has proved he's one of the gutsiest coaches in the league. A combination of the two has the Raiders sitting at 4-1 and appearing to be contenders in the West. Perhaps their resurgence is coming sooner than we all expected.
Current Ranking: No. 10
Previous Ranking: No. 10
Movement: N/A
Analysis: They're 4-1, but they have some major defensive issues that need to be fixed. Teams are moving the ball easily on that unit.
Current Ranking: No. 8
Previous Ranking: No. 9
Movement: Up 1
Analysis: Despite giving up the most pass yards in the league, they've somehow crept into a first-place tie with Denver.
