The Las Vegas Raiders felt disrespected by the predictions and projections they received this offseason. However, six weeks into the season, the doubters were seemingly right in their assumptions about how the Raiders' season would go.
The Raiders played a lot of bad football to start the season and have paid the price for it in the eyes of many. After a 2-4 start to the season, the disrespect the Raiders have received from the national media has continued, and rightfully so. USA Today recently released their predictions for the Raiders' upcoming matchup against the Los Angeles Rams. The consensus speaks volumes about the national perception of the Raiders.
USA Today’s Richard Morin predicts the Rams will beat the Raiders by a score of 23-16. Despite the shape of the Los Angeles roster, it's hard to see the Rams moving to 1-5 on the season,” Morin said. “They're in a better position than the Raiders, for sure."
Jordan Mendoza of USA Today predicts the Rams will win by a score of 22-17.
“The Raiders are an absolute mess and don't have much star power to get them past teams,” Mendoza said. “The Rams are better than their record says, and they get the win even though SoFi Stadium will be taken over by the Raider fans.”
Tyler Dragon has the Rams winning 24 to 20. “There will be plenty of Raiders fans at SoFi Stadium to witness a Davante Adams-less Raiders team. Brock Bowers has become Las Vegas’ top pass-catching option,” Dragon said. “The Rams have lost two in a row but are eagerly anticipating the returns of Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua. Kupp will return first, but the Rams still have enough weapons to beat a struggling Raiders club that just traded away their best players.
USA Today’s Lorenzo Reyes also predicted a Rams win. He believes the Rams will beat the Raiders 25-10. "The Rams are still a little banged up but coming off a bye. The Raiders look as though they’re about to unravel. I don’t have any trust in an offense led by Aidan O’Connell and one that suddenly lost its best target, even if Davante Adams was disgruntled."
The Raiders are facing one of the few teams in the National Football League whose injuries have equally impacted as they have been, if not more. However, the Rams average more points per game than the Raiders through the season's first six games.
The Rams are 1-4 on the season and have played worse than the Raiders. Multiple experts unanimously chose the Rams over the Raiders. It is hard to believe that not one expert believed the Raiders would beat the Rams.
Still, the Raiders have given little reason to believe in their abilities. Las Vegas has repeatedly found ways to lose games it easily could have won. The Raiders can win many games on their schedule, and whether they play well enough or long enough is a weekly guessing game. The disrespect will continue until the Raiders can play more consistent football.
