Showing posts with label Las Vegas Raiders. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Las Vegas Raiders. Show all posts

Tuesday, August 26, 2025

EDSFootball.com Updates for August 26, 2025

Earlier today, we updated fantasy football projections for several teams on EDSFootball.com.

2025 Fantasy Football Projections

Projected fantasy points are based on half-PPR scoring.

MORE: Fantasy football projections for more NFL teams

Denver Broncos 2025 Fantasy Football Projections

Our 2025 fantasy football projections below are for the Denver Broncos.

Embed from Getty Images

QUARTERBACKS


PlayerAtt.Comp.YardsTDINTRushYardsTDPoints
Bo Nix513.9344.33545.924.9210.2885.2383.43.62281.02
Jarrett Stidham32.820.3232.91.341.234.611.50.0513.67
QB Totals546.7364.63778.826.2611.5189.8394.93.67294.69

Bo Nix: Nix started slowly (didn't throw first touchdown until Week 4), but he was one of the most productive fantasy quarterbacks from Week 5 through the end of the season. During that span, he completed 68.3% of his pass attempts for 3,115 yards, 28 touchdowns and eight interceptions while rushing 69 times for 320 yards and two scores. He was fantasy's QB5 (QB6 on per-game basis) from Week 5-18. The Broncos added Evan Engram in free agency and used a pair of top-75 picks on playmakers — R.J. Harvey (No. 60) and Pat Bryant (No. 74) — in the 2025 NFL Draft. Denver's defense is arguably the best in the NFL, however, which could potentially limit the ceiling of the offense (i.e., fewer shootouts needed).

MORE: Continue reading our Denver Broncos 2025 Fantasy Football Projections

Detroit Lions 2025 Fantasy Football Projections

Our 2025 fantasy football projections below are for the Detroit Lions.

Embed from Getty Images

QUARTERBACKS


PlayerAtt.Comp.YardsTDINTRushYardsTDPoints
Jared Goff542.9363.74071.827.1510.8632.151.40.64258.73
Kyle Allen28.618.2197.31.060.864.9110.1212.23
QB Totals571.5381.94269.128.2111.723762.40.76270.96

Jared Goff: The main concern with Goff is losing offensive coordinator Ben Johnson, but new offensive coordinator John Morton was a senior offensive assistant when Johnson became OC in 2022. Another concern is the loss of center Frank Ragnow (retirement) and Kevin Zeitler (free agency), but the Lions have a very talented group of pass catchers — Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jameson Williams, Sam LaPorta, Jahmyr Gibbs, etc.. Goff has finished as fantasy's QB10, QB7, and QB6, respectively, over the past three seasons.

MORE: Continue reading our Detroit Lions 2025 Fantasy Football Projections

Las Vegas Raiders 2025 Fantasy Football Projections

Our 2025 fantasy football projections below are for the Las Vegas Raiders.

Embed from Getty Images

QUARTERBACKS


PlayerAtt.Comp.YardsTDINTRushYardsTDPoints
Geno Smith545.4373.63981.422.6312.8248.1226.11.83257.73
Aidan O'Connell23.214.6155.40.810.443.16.20.099.74
Kenny Pickett11.67.276.60.350.232.15.30.064.89
QB Totals580.2395.44213.423.7913.4953.3237.61.98272.36

Geno Smith: It's obvious that Smith is an upgrade over the trio of Aidan O'Connell, Gardner Minshew and Desmond Ridder, all of whom made starts in 2024, and a more competent passing attack with benefit Brock Bowers, Jakobi Meyers, and the team's pass catchers. While Smith's best fantasy season (2022, QB5 — eighth on a PPG basis) was his first in Seattle with Pete Carroll, he's been a mid-tier QB2 (or worse) the past two seasons. Less useful in single-QB redraft formats, Smith has upside in two-QB or super flex and best ball formats.

MORE: Continue reading our Las Vegas Raiders 2025 Fantasy Football Projections

New Orleans Saints 2025 Fantasy Football Projections

Our 2025 fantasy football projections below are for the New Orleans Saints.

Embed from Getty Images

QUARTERBACKS


PlayerAtt.Comp.YardsTDINTRushYardsTDPoints
Spencer Rattler344.8210.32379.112.767.2438.21911.53160
Tyler Shough229.8142.51597.18.735.1730.4121.61.22107.94
QB Totals574.6352.83976.221.4912.4168.6312.62.75267.94

Spencer Rattler: Kellen Moore has named Rattler the starter for Week 1. It's unlikely that he maintains that role for the full season, especially given that the Saints used a top-40 pick on Tyler Shough and will likely be in the mix for one of the top quarterbacks in 2026. (In fact, I have them drafting one early in my 2026 NFL Mock Draft.) Rattler is only relevant in 2-QB and Super Flex formats (as are all starting quarterbacks).

Tyler Shough: As noted with Rattler, Shough will start the year as the backup and should have an opportunity to make starts, but both quarterbacks are off the fantasy radar in standard single-QB leagues.

MORE: Continue reading our New Orleans Saints 2025 Fantasy Football Projections

Posted by at
Labels: , , , , , , , , ,

Friday, August 8, 2025

EDSFootball.com Updates for August 8, 2025

Earlier today, we completed and posted the results of a fantasy football mock draft. In addition, we updated our fantasy projections for two teams — the Dallas Cowboys and Las Vegas Raiders.

Embed from Getty Images

2025 Fantasy Football Mock Draft: 12-Team Half-PPR Mock (12th Pick)

The best way to become good at something is to practice. So, what should you do if you want to draft a better fantasy football team?

Practice, of course!

Leading up to the start of the 2025 NFL season, we will use the fantasy football mock draft simulator to complete fantasy football mock drafts. And we will do so using a variety of scoring formats — point per reception (PPR), half-PPR, standard scoring and even 2-QB leagues — and league sizes. The goal is to provide you with a good representation of the team that you may be able to draft given your league settings while also providing the rationale of why we made the picks we did.

> Our 2025 mocks will be centralized here: Fantasy Football Mock Drafts.

That said, nothing beats practicing yourself so (check out the simulator) and complete a mock in a matter of minutes.

Half-PPR Mock Draft: 12 Teams, 12th Pick

Starting positions: 1 QB, 2 RB, 2 WR, 1 TE, 1 Flex (RB/WR/TE), 1 K, 1 DST; Bench spots: 6

1.12 - Derrick Henry, RB, Baltimore Ravens

Father Time may be undefeated, but Henry carried the ball 325 times for 1,921 yards, the second-best (by far) of his career, and a league-high 16 touchdowns in his age-30 season. In addition, he averaged a career-best 5.9 YPC — a half-yard more than his previous high. Yes, his receiving volume was (and will continue to be) low, but Lamar Jackson limits opposing defenses from being able to stack the box to slow him down. Henry was top four across all scoring formats (including full PPR).

2.01 - Nico Collins, WR, Houston Texans

Collins has missed seven games over the past two seasons, but the now 26-year-old receiver has averaged 85.3 YPG (fifth best), 15.6 Y/R (eighth) and scored a total of 15 touchdowns (tied, 10th) over that span (among wide receivers with at least 100 targets). He has finished among the top three wide receivers in PFF's Y/RR metric in each of the past two seasons — 3.11 (second) in 2023 and 2.87 (third) in 2024, respectively. If Collins can stay healthy for a full season, the emerging superstar could truly make a jump into the top tier of fantasy receivers in 2025.

MORE: 2026 Houston Texans Mock Draft Roundup

3.12 - Davante Adams, WR, Los Angeles Rams

Adams, who was traded midseason from the Raiders to the Jets, still managed to extend his streak of 1,000-yard, eight-TD seasons to five. Even though he turns 33 on Christmas Eve and won't dominate targets the way he had at previous stops, he should have (or come close to having) another 1,000/8 season. Adams is the WR13 in my rankings, and he has plenty of contingent upside if Puka Nacua were to miss any time.

4.01 - George Kittle, TE, San Francisco 49ers

Garrett Wilson is ranked higher than Kittle in my top 200 fantasy football cheat sheet, but this mock starts two receivers so I pivoted from what would have been my pick with a three-WR starting lineup. While he's not in the same tier as Brock Bowers and Trey McBride, Kittle is one of three elite tight ends that are heads and shoulders above the rest of the position. Kittle finished 2024 with 78 receptions for 1,106 yards and eight touchdowns, all of which rank either second or third in his career. Injuries to Brandon Aiyuk and Christian McCaffrey led to greater consistency from Kittle — 40-plus receiving yards in 13 of 15 games played. (Only Bowers had more — 14 of 17 games.)

MORE: Continue reading our 2025 Fantasy Football Mock Draft: 12-Team Half-PPR Mock (12th Pick)

Embed from Getty Images

Dallas Cowboys 2025 Fantasy Football Projections

Our 2025 fantasy football projections below are for the Dallas Cowboys.

Projected fantasy points are based on half-PPR scoring.

PlayerAtt.Comp.YardsTDINTRushYardsTDPoints
Dak Prescott575384.14283.828.1812.08501951.55288.71
Joe Milton III40262841.520.84.4110.2218.26
QB Totals615410.14567.829.712.8854.42061.77306.97

Dak Prescott: Prescott played only eight games in 2024 and has now missed five-plus games in three of the past five seasons. Prescott went from finishing as the QB3 in 2023 to the QB21 last season in fantasy points per game. It's clear that the trade for George Pickens will make a significant impact to the offense, and his skill set is an ideal complement opposite CeeDee Lamb. Describing himself as "a chill guy" who is "staying humble," Pickens is entering the final year of his rookie contract and should be motivated to show the best version of himself in 2025.

MORE: Continue reading our Dallas Cowboys 2025 Fantasy Football Projections

Embed from Getty Images

Las Vegas Raiders 2025 Fantasy Football Projections

Our 2025 fantasy football projections below are for the Las Vegas Raiders.

PlayerAtt.Comp.YardsTDINTRushYardsTDPoints
Geno Smith545.4373.64008.722.6312.8248.1226.11.83258.82
Aidan O'Connell34.821.9233.21.220.663.14.70.0913.9
QB Totals580.2395.54241.923.8513.4851.2230.81.92272.72

Geno Smith: It's obvious that Smith is an upgrade over the trio of Aidan O'Connell, Gardner Minshew and Desmond Ridder, all of whom made starts in 2024, and a more competent passing attack with benefit Brock Bowers, Jakobi Meyers, and the team's pass catchers. While Smith's best fantasy season (2022, QB5 — eighth on a PPG basis) was his first in Seattle with Pete Carroll, he's been a mid-tier QB2 (or worse) the past two seasons. Less useful in single-QB redraft formats, Smith has upside in two-QB or super flex and best ball formats.

MORE: Continue reading our Las Vegas Raiders 2025 Fantasy Football Projections

MORE: Fantasy football projections for more NFL teams

Posted by at
Labels: , , , , ,

Saturday, May 18, 2024

Las Vegas Raiders 2024 NFL power rankings post-draft roundup

Throughout the 2024 NFL season, we will compile a consensus NFL Power Rankings that averages the rankings of all 32 NFL teams.

Below you will find a post-NFL draft roundup for the Las Vegas Raiders in our consensus 2024 NFL Power Rankings.

ESPN -- Rank: 25

Most improved: Defensive tackle

Signing an elite free agent in Christian Wilkins, who brings 20.5 career sacks with him to Las Vegas, does more than improve the position from a pass-rush perspective -- it makes the Raiders' defense potentially a top-10 unit. Wilkins, who had a career-high 9.0 sacks for the Dolphins last season, had more sacks in 2023 than fellow Raiders DTs John Jenkins (3.5), Matthew Butler (0.5), Byron Young (0) and Nesta Jade Silvera (0) have combined in their careers. But DT Adam Butler had 5.0 of his 22.0 career sacks for Las Vegas last season. Adding Wilkins should also stop offensive lines from double-teaming Pro Bowl edge rusher Maxx Crosby so much. -- Paul Gutierrez

NFL.com -- Rank: 23

Once six quarterbacks -- namely Michael Penix Jr. -- went off the board ahead of the Raiders' pick, it really streamlined their options. But getting Brock Bowers at No. 13? That's a steal to me, until proven otherwise. Maybe Penix would have qualified as the all-time honorary Al Davis selection if the Raiders had taken a first-round gamble on him, but as a high-upside athletic playmaker, Bowers isn't far off. Bowers can help this team, and people freaking out about having multiple quality tight ends (Bowers and Michael Mayer) will hopefully see that down the road. The QB duo of Gardner Minshew and Aidan O'Connell might not be the most spine-tingling combination, but giving them a decent cast of targets can't hurt. The defense also should carry a fairly heavy share of the load. No, this isn't yet a Super Bowl-caliber roster, but the Raiders have gotten better this offseason.

MORE: 2024 NFL Strength of Schedule

CBS Sports -- Rank: 24

Is it Gardner Minshew or Aidan O'Connell at quarterback? By failing to land a quarterback in the draft, that's what they are left with in a division with Patrick Mahomes and Justin Herbert.

USA Today -- Rank: 24

They remain a quarterback away, seemingly by their own admission. Yet they won't be pushovers, either, bridge QB Gardner Minshew II — a Pro Bowler in 2023 for whatever that's worth anymore — a good Sin City bet to roll from a very hot table on many weeks ... and be a cooler on others.

The Athletic -- Rank: 25

The Raiders were rumored to be in the quarterback trade market but stayed in their draft slot and took the best player available — Georgia tight end Brock Bowers. It was a very un-Vegas move. Then they compounded the common sense by taking offensive linemen with their next two picks.

Fox Sports -- Rank: 28

There's too much talent in Las Vegas for a ranking this low. The Raiders have a feisty defense, now headlined by Christian Wilkins along with Maxx Crosby. Davante Adams is still a top-tier receiver. But how high can the ceiling really be without a better option at quarterback? Gardner Minshew was good enough to nearly win the AFC South, but something tells me that's not going to happen in Patrick Mahomes' division.

More Las Vegas Raiders pages:

Check out more of our content:

Check out our mock draft databases:

Keep track of our site's updates: (1) follow us on Twitter, (2) like us on Facebook and/or (3) subscribe to our newsletter.

Posted by at
Labels: ,

Tuesday, May 7, 2024

Way-too-early Las Vegas Raiders 2025 NFL mock draft roundup

Throughout the year and leading up to the 2025 NFL Draft, we will update our Las Vegas Raiders Mock Draft Roundup showing picks for the Las Vegas Raiders from several prominent sites and draft analysts.

The following are picks in recent mock drafts for the Raiders:

Fox Sports - Rob Rang (5/3)

9. Shedeur Sanders, QB, Colorado

Despite what his gaudy statistics suggest (27 touchdown passes compared to just three interceptions in 2023), Sanders won't be a fit for every team. But his awareness, accuracy, touch and mobility makes him one of the more intriguing dual-threat quarterbacks in college football, projecting similarly as former PAC-12 foe Bo Nix.

ESPN - Jordan Reid (5/2)

TRADE - 5. Shedeur Sanders, QB, Colorado

With Davante Adams, Jakobi Meyers and Brock Bowers on offense, the Raiders can set up a young passer really well. And Sanders is a smooth operator whose game centers on his great ball placement (69.3% completion rate last season, eighth in the FBS) and calm demeanor when protected in the pocket. He took 52 sacks in 2023 behind a struggling offensive line, so Sanders' internal clock must speed up before he gets to the next level; he tends to compound mistakes by holding on to the ball too long. But he has a ton of talent and can certainly be the answer for Las Vegas. I see a lot of similarities to Geno Smith in his game.

MORE: 2024 NFL Strength of Schedule

San Diego Union-Tribune - Eddie Brown (5/2)

8. Shedeur Sanders, QB, Colorado

The Raiders were unable to trade up for Jayden Daniels, so GM Tom Telesco's top priority is still finding a franchise QB. Sanders is currently the betting favorite to go No. 1 in 2025, but there's still a lot of work to do before he guarantees himself a spot in the first round. There's no question Coach Prime's progeny has the talent though.

The Athletic - Dane Brugler (4/30)

5. Will Johnson, CB, Michigan

After competing for the all-time draft pick record in 2024, Michigan has two players in the top five of next year's projection. I'm excited about Johnson for a lot of the same reasons I was high on Quinyon Mitchell — he's a good-sized athlete with composure and ball skills.

PFF - Max Chadwick (4/29)

9. Shedeur Sanders, QB, Colorado

The Raiders didn't select a quarterback in the 2024 NFL Draft despite having Gardner Minshew and Aidan O'Connell as their current starting options. Here, they go with Sanders, the current favorite (+100) at DraftKings Sportsbook to be the No. 1 overall pick. He is an advanced processor who earned the third-best clean-pocket passing grade (92.9) in college football this past season. The only two who were higher were the first two picks in 2024 — Caleb Williams and Jayden Daniels.

The 33rd Team - Marcus Mosher (4/29)

7. Carson Beck, QB, Georgia

Carson Beck got hot down the stretch for Georgia, and everything points to him being one of the top quarterbacks in the 2025 NFL Draft. In his first full season as a starter, he completed more than 72 percent of his passes and averaged 9.5 yards per attempt. It'll be fascinating to see how he develops during the 2024 season.

USA Today - Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz (4/28)

6. Quinn Ewers, QB, Texas

Locked out of the running for the top quarterbacks in this year's draft class, Antonio Pierce and Tom Telesco will have to push through this season with Gardner Minshew II and Aidan O'Connell before evaluating their long-term options next spring. Ewers still lacks consistency as a decision-maker, but there's no questioning that his outstanding ability to zip passes into tight windows will help him stand apart from his peers in the pre-draft process.

CBS Sports - Ryan Wilson (4/28)

10. Tyler Booker, IOL, Alabama

This class isn't particularly deep at offensive tackle (not yet, anyway), but the guard group has some talent; Booker has elite play strength and often finishes plays with his opponent ending up on the ground. He shows a good ability to reach block, pull, and be effective flipping his hips in pass protection.

More roundups: NFL Teams | NFL Draft Prospects

Check out more of our content:

Keep track of our site's updates: (1) follow us on Twitter, (2) like us on Facebook and/or (3) subscribe to our newsletter.

Posted by at
Labels: ,

Wednesday, November 8, 2023

Las Vegas Raiders Week 10 NFL Power Rankings Roundup

Throughout the 2023 NFL season, we will compile a consensus NFL Power Rankings that averages the rankings of all 32 NFL teams.

Below you will find a Week 10 roundup for the Las Vegas Raiders in our consensus 2023 NFL Power Rankings.

ESPN -- Rank: 22

Non-QB MVP: DE Maxx Crosby

The two-time Pro Bowler and burgeoning All-Pro is making snap count almost as attractive a statistic as sacks. Almost. Crosby rarely comes off the field -- he has missed only two defensive snaps in the Raiders' past six games -- and he is coming off his third career three-sack game. In fact, he has 9.5 of the Raiders' 24 sacks, and no one else on Las Vegas' roster has more than two sacks. Not only is he the engine of the Raiders' No. 15-ranked total defense, he is also quickly becoming the face of the entire franchise. -- Paul Gutierrez

NFL.com -- Rank: 25

The Raiders deserved some good fortune after the Josh McDaniels situation. Sunday was a solid day for Aidan O'Connell, the quarterback McDaniels apparently didn't want to use, and I'm interested in seeing more of him. The overall vibe of the Raiders just seemed much better. Even with some poor run tackling, Las Vegas played well defensively, didn't turn the ball over on offense and didn't allow a sack (while posting eight itself). Hard to top that in terms of a positive debut for interim coach Antonio Pierce. Coaching changes can sometimes spur immediate results (just ask the Raiders, who lost to the Jeff Saturday-led Colts in his debut last year) before the momentum peters out. Or sometimes, a Rich Bisaccia or Steve Wilks can lead a sustained, inspired effort. The Raiders are not buried at 4-5.

CBS Sports -- Rank: 23

The Antonio Pierce era got off to a good start by blowing out the Giants. They sure looked a lot looser without Josh McDaniels around.

USA Today -- Rank: 24

Playing the decimated Giants obviously helped, but seemingly little coincidence that Las Vegas scored its most points and surrendered its fewest — while having plenty of fun — in Game 1 post-Josh McDaniels.

The Athletic -- Rank: 19

Report card: C

The Raiders really didn't like Josh McDaniels, did they? After failing to score more than 21 points under McDaniels in the first eight games of the season, they had 24 at halftime Sunday. Josh Jacobs rushed for a season-high 98 yards and two touchdowns to help Las Vegas stop a two-game slide and give Antonio Pierce his first victory as an (interim) head coach.

FOX -- Rank: 27

How do you think Josh McDaniels felt seeing the Raiders win in dominant fashion and have a ton of fun while they did it? You could feel the relief pulsating through that organization as they rallied behind Antonio Pierce. Now, the challenge is maintaining the good vibes moving forward.

Yahoo! -- Rank: 25

Interim head coach Antonio Pierce will be interesting to watch the rest of the season. The players responded to him. The last time the Raiders had success with an interim coach, Mark Davis needed a splashier hire and made a disastrous decision to hire Josh McDaniels and general manager Dave Ziegler, and let them acquire a bunch of old Patriots friends. Can Davis hold off his urge to hire a splashy name this time if Pierce does a reasonable job the rest of the season?

PFT -- Rank: 25

Ding dong the witch is dead.

Previous updates:

More Las Vegas Raiders pages:

Check out more of our content:

Keep track of our site's updates: (1) follow us on Twitter, (2) like us on Facebook and/or (3) subscribe to our newsletter.

Posted by at
Labels: ,

Saturday, November 4, 2023

Las Vegas Raiders Week 9 NFL Power Rankings Roundup

Throughout the 2023 NFL season, we will compile a consensus NFL Power Rankings that averages the rankings of all 32 NFL teams.

Below you will find a Week 9 roundup for the Las Vegas Raiders in our consensus 2023 NFL Power Rankings.

ESPN -- Rank: 25

Jimmy Garoppolo, who signed a three-year, $72 million contract in March, missed 2½ of the Raiders' first seven games because of a concussion and a back injury. As such, continuity was hard to come by; Las Vegas has also started rookie Aidan O'Connell, a fourth-round draft pick from Purdue, and Brian Hoyer, a 15-year veteran, and both lost their starts. Garoppolo returned Monday night against the Lions with a 47.6% completion percentage, 126 passing yards, no touchdowns and an interception. -- Paul Gutierrez

NFL.com -- Rank: 26

The lack of a consistent passing game just killed the Raiders on Monday night, especially when they couldn't stop Lions RB Jahmyr Gibbs on defense. Jimmy Garoppolo returned from injury, but never got in a groove, telegraphing a first-quarter pick and looking skittish throughout. A big part of that was because of the consistent Detroit pressure, though costly drops from Davante Adams and Hunter Renfrow didn't help. Even when Garoppolo wasn't under fire, he never looked comfortable, taking six sacks and overthrowing an open Adams twice on deep shots in the second half. Tough as Jimmy is, it just wasn't his night.

CBS Sports -- Rank: 25

For a team coached by Josh McDaniels, they are impotent on offense. They just can't score enough. It's ugly.

USA Today -- Rank: 24

Appropriate the Las Vegas Strip has a New York-New York Hotel & Casino with the Giants and Jets paying visits the next two weeks. But will the Silver and Black be checked out after a ghastly loss on Monday night?

The Athletic -- Rank: 26

Something scary (for them): The head coach hiring track record

Remind me, why did the Raiders fire Rich Bisaccia again? After taking over following the abrupt resignation of Jon Gruden in 2021, Bisaccia went 7-5 and took the Raiders to the playoffs. That makes him one of only three Raiders head coaches since 2001 to leave the job with a winning record. The others were Gruden (22-31 in his second stint) and Jack Del Rio (25-23). In that same time frame, seven coaches have left with losing records. Josh McDaniels fell to 6-12 in the role Monday night.

FOX -- Rank: 29

The Raiders climb the rankings by virtue of simply not being the Giants. It was nice to see Maxx Crosby get some shine in a nationally televised game, because he's amazing. Everything else about this team is a wreck. I'm confident they won't, but I selfishly wish they'd trade Davante Adams.

Yahoo! -- Rank: 26

If you didn't watch Monday night's game and saw that the Raiders lost 26-14 to the Lions, you wouldn't think it was that bad. It was bad. The Raiders were outgained 486-157 and one of their two touchdowns came on Marcus Peters' pick 6 of Detroit. It was a debacle. The Raiders better play a lot better going forward, or head coach Josh McDaniels might not last the season.

PFT -- Rank: 26

This is ugly and getting worse.

Previous updates:

More Las Vegas Raiders pages:

Check out more of our content:

Keep track of our site's updates: (1) follow us on Twitter, (2) like us on Facebook and/or (3) subscribe to our newsletter.

Posted by at
Labels: ,

Saturday, October 21, 2023

Las Vegas Raiders Week 7 NFL Power Rankings Roundup

Throughout the 2023 NFL season, we will compile a consensus NFL Power Rankings that averages the rankings of all 32 NFL teams.

Below you will find a Week 7 roundup for the Las Vegas Raiders in our consensus 2023 NFL Power Rankings.

ESPN -- Rank: 24

Lesson learned: All three quarterbacks need to be ready on a weekly basis.

Jimmy Garoppolo's injury history predicted this and, after Garoppolo missed Week 4 with a concussion and left Sunday's game against the Patriots with a back injury, both rookie Aidan O'Connell and 15th-year vet Brian Hoyer have already appeared in games. And with Garoppolo's availability for Sunday's Week 7 game at Chicago in question, Hoyer would already be the third QB to start for Las Vegas this season should he get the call. -- Paul Gutierrez

NFL.com -- Rank: 23

The defense has won two straight games for this team, which is a tremendous development, and the apparently positive news on the back injury Jimmy Garoppolo suffered in the win over New England keeps hope alive. If Garoppolo only ends up missing one game, the contest he misses will be against the Bears, who also have QB issues, with Justin Fields likely to be out for a spell. So that's another tremendous break. This team has been in every game save for Week 2, when the Bills just outclassed the Raiders. Still, a group featuring Davante Adams and Josh Jacobs needs to score more than 19 offensive points in a game.

CBS Sports -- Rank: 23

They've won two straight thanks to the defense. But now they might be without Jimmy Garoppolo for a bit, although Brian Hoyer played well in relief against the Pats.

USA Today -- Rank: 20

A win at Chicago on Sunday puts Las Vegas above .500 ... which wouldn't be bad at all for a team tied for the AFC lead with 12 turnovers.

The Athletic -- Rank: 24

The Raiders have won two in a row, but they didn't top the 20-point ceiling this season until they recorded a safety in the final two minutes against New England on Sunday. So let's focus on the defense. Maxx Crosby has played more snaps (357) than any defensive lineman in the league this season. That's more than 95 percent of the Raiders' defensive snaps. Crosby is fourth in the league in sacks (5 1/2) and seventh in pressure percentage (18.4).

FOX -- Rank: 25

The Raiders are not a good team, but I hope people are paying attention to Maxx Crosby. End-of-year awards tend to go to guys on playoff squads, but Crosby is looking like he'll have quite a case for NFL Defensive Player of the Year, regardless of what the Raiders' record is. He leads the league in pressures, he's got 5.5 sacks in six games, and his safety of Mac Jones basically clinched the win for Las Vegas.

Yahoo! -- Rank: 23

Part of head coach Josh McDaniels needing to get former Patriots QB Jimmy Garoppolo should have been accounting for Garoppolo's lengthy injury history. It's just Week 6 and Garoppolo has dealt with a foot ailment, a concussion and now a back injury that caused him to be taken to the hospital. Garoppolo might miss time with the back injury. That might derail the Raiders' little bit of momentum.

PFT -- Rank: 20

They're gradually learning how to win games they would have lost in recent years.

Previous updates:

More Las Vegas Raiders pages:

Check out more of our content:

Keep track of our site's updates: (1) follow us on Twitter, (2) like us on Facebook and/or (3) subscribe to our newsletter.

Posted by at
Labels: ,

Saturday, October 14, 2023

Las Vegas Raiders Week 6 NFL Power Rankings Roundup

Throughout the 2023 NFL season, we will compile a consensus NFL Power Rankings that averages the rankings of all 32 NFL teams.

Below you will find a Week 6 roundup for the Las Vegas Raiders in our consensus 2023 NFL Power Rankings.

ESPN -- Rank: 26

Fantasy surprise: WR Hunter Renfrow

The former Pro Bowler caught 103 passes two years ago, and after suffering through an injury-plagued season in 2022, he was expected to be a major part of the Raiders' offense this year. Instead, the slot man has been more the forgotten man with just 6 catches on 9 targets for 59 yards and without a score. Renfrow's relative absence has been one of the bigger mysteries through the first quarter of the season. -- Paul Gutierrez

NFL.com -- Rank: 24

Jimmy Garoppolo's struggles threatened to give the game away, but the defense stood as tall as it has in a while -- and it wasn't all Maxx Crosby, even though he was exceptional, per usual. Big plays also came from some off-the-radar suspects. The Raiders had one interception on the season entering Week 5. Robert Spillane had one in his career before Monday. So it figures that Big Game Bob snagged two Jordan Love passes, even if those only led to three Raiders points. Amik Robertson's end-zone pick in the final minute finished it off, with just enough help from the offense in key spots. Garoppolo's nightmarish third quarter will haunt me until next week, but the Raiders found a way to get it done.

CBS Sports -- Rank: 22

They needed that victory over the Packers in the worst way. The defense came up big. Maxx Crosby is a beast.

USA Today -- Rank: 23

If they're going to salvage their season and use Monday's win as a catapult, now is the time. The Silver and Black face three one-win teams (Patriots, Bears, Giants) over the next four weeks.

The Athletic -- Rank: 22

The bad news for the Raiders, beyond being 2-3, is that No. 7 pick Tyree Wilson and No. 35 pick Michael Mayer have made little impact on the team. Wilson has only five tackles and no sacks, and Mayer has three catches for 41 yards. The good news is Las Vegas may have salvaged something from the draft with a pair of fourth-rounders in cornerback Jakorian Bennett and quarterback Aidan O'Connell. Bennett was playing more than 80 percent of the defensive snaps before being inactive Monday night with a hamstring injury. O'Connell was 24-for-39 for 238 yards in fill-in duty for Jimmy Garoppolo against the Chargers on Oct. 1.

FOX -- Rank: 26

The Raiders get a much-needed win, but I can't forgive Josh McDaniels for repeatedly making mind-numbing decisions. If you pick up a fourth-and-2 from the Green Bay 34, you win the game. If you don't get it, the Packers still must drive 66 yards for a game-winning touchdown. Instead, you settle for a field goal — from the same distance at which Daniel Carlson had already been blocked earlier in the game. Can someone help it make sense?

Yahoo! -- Rank: 24

Maxx Crosby is ridiculous. The Raiders' defensive end was the best player on the field Monday night and the biggest difference in Las Vegas' win. He had four tackles for loss, including a sack. He'll be in the Defensive Player of the Year conversation all season.

PFT -- Rank: 23

Jimmy G is a "winner" — as long as he has enough other guys around to bail him out.

Previous updates:

More Las Vegas Raiders pages:

Check out more of our content:

Keep track of our site's updates: (1) follow us on Twitter, (2) like us on Facebook and/or (3) subscribe to our newsletter.

Posted by at
Labels: ,

Tuesday, October 3, 2023

Las Vegas Raiders Week 5 NFL Power Rankings Roundup

Throughout the 2023 NFL season, we will compile a consensus NFL Power Rankings that averages the rankings of all 32 NFL teams.

Below you will find a Week 5 roundup for the Las Vegas Raiders in our consensus 2023 NFL Power Rankings.

ESPN -- Rank: 29

Biggest issue on defense: Relative lack of takeaways

It was a major point of emphasis during training camp and the exhibition season: getting interceptions while forcing fumbles and recovering them. And yet ... safety Tre'von Moehrig's interception of Justin Herbert late in the third quarter Sunday was the Raiders' first takeaway of the season -- in Game 4. Only the Giants have fewer takeaways, with zero. As such, the Raiders' takeaway differential of minus-9 is the worst in the NFL. -- Paul Gutierrez

NFL.com -- Rank: 29

Jimmy Garoppolo gives the Raiders the best chance to win, but Aidan O'Connell -- even with some rough moments -- should get another shot if Garoppolo can't go again in Week 5. O'Connell needs to speed up his clock considerably, and his three turnovers in Sunday's loss to the Chargers were killers. Two lost fumbles led to 14 L.A. points, and Las Vegas didn't get the ball back after the late-game pick. But O'Connell wasn't lost out there, either; he made a few big throws, more than I think Brian Hoyer would give them. Given Garoppolo's injury history, the kid needs to be ready. The Raiders aren't great, but they are fairly competitive.

CBS Sports -- Rank: 28

At 1-3, they are off to a bad start. Not having Jimmy Garoppolo against the Chargers didn't help. He might be back this week.

USA Today -- Rank: 28

They're distinguishing themselves in one area, Vegas' minus-nine turnover differential the worst in the league.

The Athletic -- Rank: 25

Josh McDaniels is now 18-30 in his fourth season as a head coach. Rookie quarterback Aidan O'Connell looked OK in place of injured Jimmy Garoppolo on Sunday before throwing a red zone interception that ended the Raiders' hopes.

FOX -- Rank: 29

It was always going to be a struggle to beat the Chargers with a rookie quarterback starting in place of Jimmy Garoppolo. Props to Aidan O'Connell and props to the Raiders for giving the Chargers a scare. They also prevented Khalil Mack from setting the single-game sack record, which is a distinction I'm sure they're glad to avoid against their former defensive linchpin.

Yahoo! -- Rank: 29

Josh McDaniels saying "playing quarterback in our league starts with taking care of the football" in regards to rookie Aidan O'Connell is not a good look. O'Connell threw one game-breaking interception late in the fourth quarter, which came on a slow-developing pick play that the Chargers played the right coverage on. It was on first-and-goal and the Raiders passed, putting a lot on the shoulders of their rookie quarterback. And it wasn't a great play call. O'Connell threw 39 times and Josh Jacobs, an All-Pro running back last season, ran only 17 times. It was a bad game script, but that's not exactly easing your quarterback into the game. There are things O'Connell can do better. It was his first start. McDaniels pointing out his quarterback needs to take care of the ball seems like he's trying to deflect from his own mistakes in the game.

PFT -- Rank: 30

How badly does Mark Davis want to bring back Jon Gruden?

Previous updates:

More Las Vegas Raiders pages:

Check out more of our content:

Keep track of our site's updates: (1) follow us on Twitter, (2) like us on Facebook and/or (3) subscribe to our newsletter.

Posted by at
Labels: ,

Saturday, September 30, 2023

Las Vegas Raiders Week 4 NFL Power Rankings Roundup

Throughout the 2023 NFL season, we will compile a consensus NFL Power Rankings that averages the rankings of all 32 NFL teams.

Below you will find a Week 4 roundup for the Las Vegas Raiders in our consensus 2023 NFL Power Rankings.

ESPN -- Rank: 27

Biggest issue on offense: Chemistry

Returning All-Pros at receiver (Davante Adams) and running back (Josh Jacobs), four of five starters on the offensive line and a quarterback better versed in coach Josh McDaniels' scheme (Jimmy Garoppolo) were supposed to take the offense to a higher level. Instead, the unit looks discombobulated. Garoppolo leads the NFL in interceptions (6) while Jacobs is averaging just 2.4 yards per carry. "It's [only] Week 3, but I don't got time to wait around," said Adams, who is carrying his weight with 25 catches for 322 yards and 3 TDs. "You use these early games like this to establish the identity and we are not doing things the right way to establish a winning culture early in the season. So, we've got to do something to turn that around." -- Paul Gutierrez

NFL.com -- Rank: 27

If there was one play that summed up the frustration with the Raiders -- other than Josh McDaniels' late decision to kick a field goal -- it would be Jimmy Garoppolo's second interception Sunday night against the Steelers. Garoppolo waited and waited for either Davante Adams or Jakobi Meyers to shake loose from bracket coverage ... but it never happened. Garoppolo tried to ad lib and lobbed a pass over Meyers' head, which was intercepted. Right now, the Raiders' offense has gone from too Josh Jacobs-reliant last season to being too bent on jamming the ball into one of Vegas' talented receivers. All while Garoppolo (NFL-high six INTs) and the offensive line turn in uneven performances. This is a formula that needs fixing.

CBS Sports -- Rank: 28

At 1-2, they face a huge division game this week with the Chargers. The offense has to get more help from people not named Davante Adams.

USA Today -- Rank: 29

A season after being the league's most productive back, Josh Jacobs is averaging 67 yards per game — among the myriad issues arising in Vegas.

The Athletic -- Rank: 23

QB confidence rating: 6

Six is also the number of league-leading interceptions Jimmy Garoppolo has after throwing three Sunday night. He has thrown those six on 94 pass attempts, which ranks 18th in the league. The Raiders pushed Derek Carr out of the door and gave Garoppolo a three-year, $67.5 million contract for this, and now Garoppolo is in the concussion protocol.

FOX -- Rank: 29

What on Earth was that, Josh McDaniels? Maybe my understanding of late-game decision-making is lacking, but it sure felt like going for the touchdown, trailing 23-15 with 2:22 to play was the right call. It's not the sole reason the Raiders lost to Pittsburgh but a bizarre sequence that did not help.

Yahoo! -- Rank: 29

The easy headline is Josh McDaniels making the astounding decision to kick a field goal at Pittsburgh's 8-yard line late in Sunday night's game. But the enduring bad news to come out of Sunday's game is the way the offense disappeared for 2 1/2 quarters. The Raiders are averaging 15 points per game and haven't scratched out more than 18 in a game. McDaniels said his decision to kick the field goal on fourth-and-4 didn't reflect a lack of belief in his offense. But a coach who truly had faith in his offense would have kept it on the field. McDaniels will get heat for a bad decision on the field goal, but he deserves more questions for why his offense is mediocre.

PFT -- Rank: 29

Death, taxes, and Jimmy G getting injured.

Previous updates:

More Las Vegas Raiders pages:

Check out more of our content:

Keep track of our site's updates: (1) follow us on Twitter, (2) like us on Facebook and/or (3) subscribe to our newsletter.

Posted by at
Labels: ,
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)