The Las Vegas Raiders appear to be a better team on paper. Week 1 will be the first true test of whether or not that is the case.
Jeff Kerr of CBS Sports recently listed his thoughts on the ceiling and floor for every team in the National Football League. He believes Las Vegas' ceiling is an 8-9 record and missing out on the playoffs. Even without a playoff berth, eight wins would be a success for the Raiders this season.
"If the Raiders are looking for stability, they are on the right path with Pete Carroll as head coach. They handled their quarterback situation by trading for Geno Smith and have one of the most exciting rookies in Ashton Jeanty at running back," Kerr said.
"Chip Kelly back in the NFL is also intriguing, as the Raiders should be able to have some stability on offense and put points on the board. Watching Brock Bowers in year two will also be fun. Las Vegas is heading in the right direction."
Following training camp, Kelly noted that the players got off to a good start and showed up to camp prepared. Kelly is known for having a complex offense, which can be difficult for some players to learn, especially with all of the new pieces that the Raiders have.
Still, Kelly believes the Raiders' offense will be ready to go against the New England Patriots in Week 1.
"I think all of us, and the whole coaching staff, and the players will tell you too, for two days, they've been sharp. Really, the question you always have is they left here on June 11th and they came back for July 23 where were they in the interim? You could tell that these guys worked on, not only from a physical standpoint in terms of their conditioning and what they did coming back, but mentally, they were sharp," Kelly said.
"We've thrown a lot at them because we came out of the spring, and when we got back here day one, they were kind of responsible for everything from the spring. So, it's been a big install and will continue to be, but it's because they can handle it. So, they've been really, really sharp. They love playing. They're as excited.
"You watch their enthusiasm, it's not fake. They're excited to be out there playing football. We're excited where they are right now. It's really about stacking really good days on top of good days. Now we've had two, the challenge is can we have a good walk through this afternoon, and can we carry that over?"
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