"They haven't won the division since boy bands were popular" - NFL analyst takes brutal dig at Raiders
The Las Vegas Raiders of 2021 should be considered a success. Despite the team losing 26-19 to the Cincinnati Bengals in the Wild Card Round of the 2021 playoffs, they overcame a lot to get to that point.
The prospects for Las Vegas in 2022 look a lot better. The team has acquired All-Pro receiver Davante Adams from the Green Bay Packers and edge rusher Chandler Jones from the Arizona Cardinals.
But NFL analyst Jeremy Fowler still believes that the Raiders will not win the AFC West division next season. Here's what Fowler had to say about the matter:
"It's their [the Chargers'] year. They've got a top-six quarterback. I don't trust Denver yet, even though they have the acquisition of Russell Wilson. He's got something to prove. The Kansas City Chiefs...they are a little flawed even though I just pumped them up and the Raiders haven't won the division since boy bands were popular back in the early 2000s. The Chargers have the best offensive personnel in the division. The defense is loaded up with free agents. The [Chargers] are gonna be a lot better."
Fowler believes that this is the year for the Los Angeles Chargers to win the vaunted AFC West division. With four teams among the best in the conference, it will be a dog fight to see which team comes out on top.
Can the Las Vegas Raiders win the AFC West in 2022?
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The 2021 Las Vegas Raiders were dealt a blow on the field due to several mistakes made off the field by many former prominent franchise members.
Former head coach Jon Gruden resigned (which was seen as a forced resignation) after an investigation revealed misogynistic, racist, and homophobic emails he sent back in 2011 to former Washington (then Redskins) president Bruce Allen.
The backlash was fierce, causing team owner Mark Davis to relieve the coach of his duties in October last season. Not long after that, former receiver Henry Ruggs III was released due to his involvement in a fatal car crash.
Ruggs was impaired and charged with felony DUI involving death. Ruggs was the 12th overall pick of the team in 2020.
The situation continued to worsen for the Raiders in 2021. Former cornerback Damon Arnette was released after a viral video showed him brandishing a gun and threatening to kill someone.
Despite these unfortunate events, the team still found a way to make the playoffs, although it resulted in a Wild Card loss to the eventual AFC champions, the Cincinnati Bengals.
Las Vegas made several moves in the offseason, starting with signing Davante Adams to pair with Darren Waller and Hunter Renfrow to provide Derek Carr with an outside threat.
Adams is widely considered the best receiver in football, and his presence will open up lanes for other receivers and running backs to run underneath.
Edge rusher Chandler Jones from the Arizona Cardinals will team up with Maxx Crosby to give Las Vegas a tandem to rush opposing quarterbacks with reckless abandonment.
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The race for the AFC West title in 2022 is shaping up to be a photo finish. But for the first time in a very long time, they can be viewed as the favorites to win the division.