How the Las Vegas Raiders became the worst team in the NFL

Are the Las Vegas Raiders the worst team in the NFL?  Some fans would agree that yes, yes, they are.

Coach Antonio Pierces said last week before the Kansas City Chiefs game that they are the worst team in the NFL.

The Las Vegas Raiders are now 2-10 after their close loss against the Kansas City Chiefs. Imagine two teams facing each other, one has the best record in the league and the other has the absolute worst record in the entire league. The Raiders currently have the longest active losing streak in the NFL with seven losses. The Raiders are tied with the New York Giants and the New York Jets for worst records in the league.

In a pregame interview last week before the Kansas City game according to Skysports, head coach Antonio Pierce said, “Let’s call a spade, a spade. The best team in football against the worst team in football. Let’s change the narrative.”

If that was supposed to motivate his team it didn’t help. The Raiders still lost the game to the Chiefs, 19-17.

Although the Raiders played well defensively last Friday against the Chiefs, that hasn’t been the case most of the season. Injuries and a lack of depth have hurt this defense who only has five turnovers this season, yet despite that, they rank 14th overall in the NFL in total defense. That’s the good news, the bad news is although at times they have managed to keep their team in ballgames, eventually the defense wears down because the offense is unable to produce points to help the defense.

The Raiders’ offensive troubles are a result of not having consistent talent in the run game, the offensive line, and if we’re being honest, the quarterback situation. Sure, Aiden O’Connell is doing a decent job currently but imagine how much better a quarterback would be if they had decent wide receivers, a productive running game, and an ultra-protective offensive line. The Raiders currently lead the league in turnovers with 22. They also rank 27^th in the league in scoring, only averaging 18.6 points per game. They are last in the league in rushing, averaging less than 80 yards per game. The Raiders can only hope their fortunes can turn around with better draft choices and picking up free agents during the off-season.

The biggest reason the Raiders are in this position is because of their recent draft choices and bad free-agency choices. Gone are running back Josh Jacobs, QB Derek Carr, and wide receiver Davante Adams.  The Raiders need to come up big in the NFL Draft in April. Luckily for them, they may be able to correct a few of those mistakes in the upcoming draft.  It would be in their best interest to pick a young quarterback, develop him, and build around him. But if the Raiders are looking for the success of the old silver and black, it’s going to take time and some true investment.