Can the Oakland Raiders actually win the AFC West?

The Oakland Raiders will enter the 2019 season as pretty sizable underdogs to make the playoffs, let alone win their division. But could the Raiders actually win the AFC West?

The Oakland Raiders come into the 2019 NFL season facing higher expectations than the team has in years. The full-fledged rebuild period is in full swing and it could be time for the team to finally compete in 2019.

The likes of Antonio Brown, Tyrell Williams, Josh Jacobs, and Trent Brown highlight key offseason additions to what could be a very promising offensive unit.

Meanwhile, the Raiders’ defense has been revamped with the additions of players like Clelin Ferrell, Vontaze Burfict, and Johnathan Abram. It’s a new-look Raiders roster, one that is talented enough on paper to compete for a playoff spot.

However, doing so will be no easy task.

The Raiders are unfortunately situated in one of the most competitive divisions in all of football. The AFC West is dominated at the top by two teams who could push for 11 or 12-win seasons this year — the Kansas City Chiefs and the Los Angeles Chargers.

Kansas City, obviously, hosts perhaps the best offensive unit in football with players such as Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce, and Tyreek Hill causing nightmares for opposing defenses. And the Raiders got an up-close look at just how dominant that unit could be last season.

The Chiefs are not only the preseason favorite to win the division, but many have pegged them as Super Bowl favorites as well. Surpassing them will be no easy task, especially for a team that has needed as much roster turnover as the Raiders.

Then there’s the Chargers who, despite battling injuries and holdouts, still have one of the most talented rosters in all of football. Philip Rivers is still going strong even in his 16th season and he’s surrounded by a very solid group of playmakers on offense.

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And of course, the team’s defense is no slouch either. Joey Bosa, Melvin Ingram, and Casey Hayward are just some of the names that make-up the dominant Chargers defense. That’s not even including rising star safety Derwin James who will miss much of the season recovering from a foot injury.

The Chiefs are stacked. As are the Chargers. And even though the lowly Denver Broncos don’t post too much of a threat, the Raiders are still looking to command respect in their own division.

The offensive line, while improved, still could be a weak spot on offense. The team’s pass rush could ultimately rely on the success of their young players — Ferrell and second-year defensive end Arden Key.

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And there’s still plenty of question marks to go around at linebacker, No. 2 cornerback, and tight end. Not to mention the question mark that remains Derek Carr.

The Raiders look to be much-improved and there’s plenty of reason for optimism heading into 2019. But a repeat performance of 2016 complete with a 12-4 record and an AFC West title still seems far-fetched.

Perhaps Carr could get to that level once again and it sure looks like he’ll have the offensive weapons to do so. But the question remains if the offensive line could hold up.

Unfortunately, playing four games against the Chiefs and Chargers a year doesn’t exactly help the team’s cause. Luckily, outside of matchups against the Chicago Bears and Indianapolis Colts, the remainder of the schedule actually looks pretty reasonable.