We're in the dead part of the offseason and that has analysts around the football landscape putting out predictions for the Las Vegas Raiders and the rest of the league.
The latest to do so is Sports Illustrated's Conor Orr, who mentions the Raiders once in his bold predictions article. That mention states Las Vegas will not finish last in the AFC West in 2024.
Here's what Orr said:
Surprisingly scrappy but without a defined answer at quarterback, this team will be fun, inconsistent and decidedly old school. As a subprediction, assistant head coach Marvin Lewis will reenergize his candidacy for both head coaching jobs and general manager jobs, for which I had always thought he’d be wonderfully suited.
Not exactly bold on Orr's part. The Raiders finished in second place last season with an 8-9 record, including a 5-4 run under head coach Antonio Pierce that saw Las Vegas vastly improve on both sides of the ball.
The Raiders will have Pierce for a full season and are returning much of the same defense that was outstanding in 2023, especially after Pierce took over. Las Vegas also added a huge upgrade in Christian Wilkins and will have Jack Jones for an entire season.
Yes, there are concerns at quarterback, but Gardner Minshew or Aidan O'Connell should provide a boost from the rookie version of O'Connell. Both quarterbacks have no shortage of weapons to throw to, also.
As if all that wasn't enough to show the Raiders should not finish in last place, both the Denver Broncos and Los Angeles Chargers will have to prove they are better than what they put out last season to pass Las Vegas.
Los Angeles has a very talented quarterback in Justin Herbert, but the team also lost a lot of talent on the offensive side of the ball and the defense is suspect, at best. The Chargers routinely underachieve, as well, no matter the head coach.
The Broncos are in a bad position at quarterback, with the team having to choose between Jarrett Stidham, Zach Wilson, or a rookie in Bo Nix, who may end up being good but isn't likely to light the world on fire in Year 1.
Adding to that, the jury is very much out on what the Broncos' defense will look like, and the Raiders have absolutely dominated Denver since 2020, with eight-straight victories.
Nobody should be expecting the Raiders to supplant the Kansas City Chiefs for the spot atop the division in 2024, but there's no way they finish worse than third in the AFC West, and I'd argue Las Vegas is the favorite to finish in second, which will have them in contention for a playoff spot.
