Sunday served as a reminder to the Oakland Raiders, and that reminder is that there is still work that needs to be accomplished. The Silver and Black looked sluggish against the Kansas City Chiefs, and that's not just because of the rainy weather conditions. The team struggled all day to get much of anything going on either side of the ball, and it's very clear that the players and coaches expect more out of themselves.
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This team has an immense amount of potential and can develop into a good team, but there are some areas for improvement. This week the Raiders head to Jacksonville for part one of their two-game road stint in Florida. The team will be focused on getting back to work this week and preparing for this Sunday.
Here is our updated Power Rankings list, brought to you by NFL Extra Points.
Current Ranking: No. 13
Previous Ranking: No. 10
Movement: Down 3
Analysis: Alex Smith's jersey was white and crisp for all four quarters.
You could hardly tell he played a game in the O.co Coliseum mud. That's a huge issue if you're Raiders head coach Jack Del Rio.
Oakland's defense isn't bad. It's terrible. Del Rio must have known the Chiefs' attack strategy: run the ball and throw quick passes. Yet 11 defenders wearing silver and black were helpless to stop Smith or Spencer Ware from gutting their group.
By now, it's clear Derek Carr and Co. are doomed if they can't put up points in bunches. The Raiders defense is far too weak to put up a consistent fight.
Looking forward: Blake Bortles cannot be allowed to operate in a clean pocket. He'll torch Oakland's defensive backfield.
Current Ranking: No. 14
Previous Ranking: No. 12
Movement: Down 2
Analysis: 1: Derek Carr has some nice receivers to throw to, but no other team has been more dependent on that position group so far this season. He has thrown an NFL-high 140 passes and 11 touchdowns to wide receivers this season, and has thrown only one touchdown to all other skill positions.
Current Ranking: No. 14
Previous Ranking: No. 10
Movement: Down 4
Analysis: When you lean on your quarterback tooooo much, his subpar game becomes the entire team's bad game. The Raiders' defense has come under scrutiny plenty. Fine. How about the oft-absent ground attack? Seventeen carries for 65 yards won't accomplish diddley poo as a complement to an accomplished passer, or as a way to provide rest for a tired defense. Oakland's D looked gassed Sunday.
Current Ranking: No. 13
Previous Ranking: No. 10
Movement: Down 3
Analysis: The next two games are interesting: at Jacksonville and at Tampa Bay. Those are winnable games, but obviously neither is easy. And when that two-game road trip is done, the Raiders will have played five of eight games in the Central or Eastern time zone, which is a difficult travel stretch. If the Raiders want to be a playoff team, they have to take care of business over the next two games.
Current Ranking: No. 13
Previous Ranking: No. 8
Movement: Down 5
Analysis: Every time it looks like the Raiders are ready to be the Raiders again, they remind us that they're not.
Current Ranking: No. 13
Previous Ranking: No. 8
Movement: Down 5
Analysis: Just as the Raiders were beginning to look like playoff contenders, they go out and lay an egg against the Chiefs. This team is still inexperienced and filled with youth, but there was little excuse for how poorly they played on Sunday. They have a chance to rebound with upcoming games against the Jaguars and Buccaneers.
Current Ranking: No. 13
Previous Ranking: No. 10
Movement: Down 3
Analysis: They have major defensive issues and now face a long road trip to Jacksonville. They can't stop anybody.
Current Ranking: No. 12
Previous Ranking: No. 8
Movement: Down 4
Analysis: They may be unbeaten on road, but next two games are 1 p.m. ET starts in Florida. Nothing like a little humidity for league's worst defense.
