Could Oakland finally earn a playoff berth?
Many people and football fans would have sworn pigs would fly before the Raiders had another winning season. However, through the first half of the season, the Oakland Raiders are an impressive 4-4 (.500), 2nd in the AFC West, and are getting ready for potentially the most important regular season game they have played since 2002, against the 1st place Kansas City Chiefs, this Sunday.
A significant factor in Oakland’s turnaround is the improvement of the offense. In the 2009-10 season, the Raiders were near the bottom of almost every statistical category offensively. Remarkably, Oakland has the 2nd ranked running attack in the league, is 4th in the league in points scored, and 8th in yards gained on offense.
While the running game has been a bright spot over the past few years, both ranks in points scored and yards forced are completely lop-sided from last season.
Head Coach, Tom Cable, is proud of his team and ready to keep improving throughout the season.
“It’s exciting, that’s the term I used. It’s an exciting time for the organization, the community, the fans, but you’ve got to keep in perspective, it’s about our team continuing to get better, and that’s what we’ve been able to do lately, and as long as we stick to that we’ll be fine,” Cable said.
The Raiders’ success through the rest of the season is in the balance this Sunday when they take on the Chiefs, who are currently on top in the AFC West.
“They’re having a heck of a year. They’re finding ways to win games, and they don’t turn it over. They do a good job of taking it away. They’re playing really good football right now so as we continue to improve it should be a heck of a game,” explained Cable when asked about this weekends matchup.
Kansas City has won the past 7 straight games in Oakland. This weekend’s matchup is a statement game for both teams who have been in the dumps of the NFL in recent years. The winner will have a dominant hold on the division and playoff hopes with Kansas City looking to improve to 6-2 and Oakland striving to become 5-4 overall and 3-0 in divisional play.