5 NFL teams that must win in Week 4
By Joe Schiller
4. Oakland Raiders
An AFC West division that’s set to be one of the most competitive divisions this season saw two of the top teams lose in disappointing fashion last week. The Raiders were one of those teams and now head to Denver to take on the Broncos in what’s set to be one of the best games of the week. Not only that, but it’s a game that the Raiders must win.
The Chiefs sit atop the AFC West at 3-0, but the Broncos and Raiders tread closely behind. At some point, the Broncos or Raiders are going to break loose. It’ll likely be the winner of Sunday’s matchup. The Raiders were impressive to start off the season but looked atrocious against the Redskins last Sunday night. Newly paid Derek Carr threw two interceptions, there was virtually no run game and the two biggest threats at wide receiver were nowhere to be found. It’s only the first loss of the season, but there’s room for concern, especially coming against a very good Broncos team.
The Raiders have their backs against the wall coming into this game. Sports Authority Field is going to packed, loud and always proves to be a tough place to play at. These two teams know each other very well and while the rivalry isn’t on the same level as the Ravens and Steelers, this will still feel like a playoff game
After Week 4, the Raiders host three straight home games against the Ravens, Chargers and Chiefs. Realistically, if they can win Sunday and then two out of the next three games, they’d be sitting pretty at 5-2. That’s a perfect position for a second half of the schedule that won’t prove to be easy.