NFL 2016: Regular season grades for every team
By John Buhler
The Oakland Raiders qualified for the playoffs for the first time since 2002 when Oakland made it all the way to the Super Bowl. This year’s team would have been a team that late Raiders owner Al Davis would have loved to watch.
Oakland played with a level of swagger we haven’t seen out of this AFC West franchise in well over a decade. Going for two to beat the New Orleans Saints in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome set the tone for how head coach Jack Del Rio’s team was going to play this year.
This season saw the Raiders thrive with great play from its star young players like quarterback Derek Carr and outside linebacker Khalil Mack. Oakland was the media darling for most of the season with their best season in well over a decade. Heading into the final week of the regular season, the Raiders had their shot to get home-field advantage in the playoffs.
Then everything fell apart for the Raiders in the final two games of the season. Carr broke his fibula in Week 16’s win versus the Indianapolis Colts. Backup Matt McGloin would get hurt in Week 17’s loss to the Denver Broncos and give way to third-stringer rookie Connor Cook. Oakland went from a serious Super Bowl 51 contender to a likely first-round playoff exit. It didn’t end the way we all wanted, but what a ride for the Raiders.