Can the Raiders Turn the Tables?

One of the many goals the Las Vegas Raiders will have this upcoming season is to improve enough to make a playoff push this upcoming season. Winning the AFC West would ensure that happens.

The only problem is, Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs have dominated the division for the past decade.

Kevin Patra of NFL.com recently ranked which of the teams that finished last in their division last season by their chances of finishing first in the division this upcoming season.

Few teams in the league have as much of an uphill battle to win their division as the Raiders, Los Angeles Chargers, and Denver Broncos, especially the Raiders. Still, Patra gave the Raiders the fifth-best chance of all of the last-place teams to win their respective division this season.

"I like what the Raiders have done this offseason. Snagging Geno Smith offers at least a bridge to the future where none previously existed. The QB has proven he can lead an offense and make plays even when under pressure. He's not the perfect passer, but he can win games. The addition of running back Ashton Jeanty provides a weapon to lean on. The pass-catching group is thin, butBrock Bowers and Jakobi Meyers offer go-to playmakers," Patra said.

"If Christian Wilkins returns healthy, he and Maxx Crosby make a dangerous front duo. However, there are significant questions in the secondary, particularly at corner, where third-rounder Darien Porter could be asked to start from the jump. Pete Carroll certainly brings stability and a positivity that was missing in previous regimes. However, it's still a shallow roster with questions. Couple that with playing in the rugged AFC West, and it's enough to keep the optimism tempered about Vegas going from fourth to first."

Following Organized Team Activities, Carroll explained his high-energy approach to the team's daily preparation. Carroll's influence over the team is already noticeable.

"Yeah, well, these guys have really been accepting to a little bit of the craziness that we're all about. How we do it, and we expect them to be on every time, every day. Every time we go out in the field, they're expected to give everything they got. They tap in before they go out. They make a commitment that they're going to be all in, and then the coaches have to make sure we drive the energy," Carroll said.

"And so, if I'm expecting that, then I got to do that, too. And so that's kind of how we operate, and with the thought of, 'We want to maximize the opportunity that we have that's right in front of us every single day, every step we take'. And so, that may sound like talk to you, but this is how we live. So, they have embraced it. And I've been thrilled with the mentality on a regular basis; the coaches really have to set the tone."

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