Raiders 2021 Season Preview
Looking for 2021 Las Vegas Raiders Predictions? The Raiders finished 8-8 last season and it is hard to find many who see them doing better than that this season. Lots of folks love to criticize the personnel decisions of the brain trust but more than that division rivals Denver and the Chargers just look like teams on the rise. We know this team is not going to fall off the map but at the same time, it is hard to have any real optimism heading into the season.
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2021/22 NFL Team Predictions – Las Vegas Raiders
- Raiders 2021 Win Total NFL Odds: 7.5 (Over +120/Under -145)
- Las Vegas Raiders AFC West Odds: +1800
- Las Vegas Raiders AFC Championship Odds: +4000
- Las Vegas Raiders 2022 Super Bowl Odds: +8000
Key Additions:
- WR John Brown
- DT Quinton Jefferson
- DE Yannick Ngakoue
The Raiders are getting back to their old ways with the addition of Brown, a speed receiver they are adding to the mix. I don’t mind it but I am sure he is a starter in the NFL anymore.
Jefferson and Ngakoue should improve a defensive line that had a tough time stopping the run or putting pressure on quarterbacks a season ago.
Key Losses:
- WR Nelson Agholor
- C Rodney Hudson
- DL Maliek Collins
None of these players will be huge losses. Agholor was solid last year, leading the receivers in yards and TDs (TE Darren Waller, led the team in both categories.
The changes along the lines were with the eye of getting younger on the offensive line and more dynamic on defense. Mission accomplished. Now we have to see if it makes any difference.
2021 Las Vegas Raiders Predictions: Offseason Analysis
At one point the Raiders were 6-3 last season. Unfortunately, as has become the custom since Jon Gruden returned to the franchise they have not been able to sustain really season success.
This roster has a lot of holes and I am not sure they have really been addressed. Their drafting history has been pretty bad though perhaps that is beginning to turn. Alex Leatherwood (OT) and Trevon Moehrig (S), are expected to start.
I have always thought that Derek Carr is good enough to win with. He had a good season a year ago as the Raiders had the 7th best passing offense in the league. Darren Waller has emerged as an elite TE.
The rest of the receiving group is pretty questionable though. If they start Henry Ruggs, Hunter Renfroe and Brown that is three guys who are all under 6ft. Not many teams are winning with that kind of roster construction.
RB Josh Jacobs is productive, 1000+ yards a year ago with 12 TDs. The thing I like best about him is that he gives the team a little attitude with the way he runs the ball.
The defense was 25th in yards allowed and 30th in scoring defense. The moves they have made to improve the stop unit have been pretty marginal. This team did not get a lot of sacks or force a lot of turnovers last season. Unless that flips they are going to struggle again.
2021 Las Vegas Raiders Win Total Prediction:
It feels like most teams are expected to win more than they did a year ago and obviously having that extra game helps. That is not true of the Raiders though.
They have a very difficult start to the season, hosting Baltimore on Monday night followed by a road trip to Pittsburgh. Even Miami at home thereafter is no gimme. All 3 of those teams won at least 10 games a year ago. An 0-3 start is very likely.
In Week 4 they are at the Chargers. This is an important measuring stick game as it is going to be especially tough to best their total if they are the worst team in the division. Two weeks later they are in Denver. If they can’t get one of those two road games against division foes not named Kansas City the over seems pretty unlikely.
Unless the Raiders are much better than most people think there are only a couple of surefire wins on the schedule, home dates with Cincinnati and Philadelphia. Maybe a trip to visit the New York Giants too.
When I run through the schedule I keep landing on 5 or 6 wins and even that might be generous because there are many teams on the schedule who I think improved themselves more than the Raiders did this offseason.
The key is the competitiveness the Raiders have in the division. Last year they were one of a couple of teams that beat Kansas City during the regular season. They were 3-1 against the Broncos and Chargers. Going 4-2 against the division again seems very unlikely.
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