Strength of schedule: Cleveland Browns 2021 Opponents whose stock has risen
By Colin Damms
3. Las Vegas Raiders
It took a few seasons for Jon Gruden and Mike Mayock’s Raiders experiment to start taking shape, but now that the franchise is settled into a new home they’re looking much more competitive than what many expected of them.
The trust shown in Derek Carr has paid off for Gruden, and though he may not reach MVP levels as he did in 2016 he is slinging the ball around with confidence and precision that reminds us of such heights.
They seem as though they’ve figured out a way to get Henry Ruggs III Involved more consistently, Darren Waller remains a beast at tight end, and Josh Jacobs is looking more and more worth the first-round pick spent on him at running back. Carr’s passer ratings have quietly gone up above 100 since last season, and the team around him keeps improving as well.
The Raiders have also developed a pretty scary pass-rushing duo in Maxx Crosby and Yannick Ngakoue, who terrorized Lamar Jackson on Monday Night Football in their season opener. While their wins haven’t necessarily come easily, it is certainly a step up from the inconsistency down the stretch of games that we saw last season from the Raiders.
They looked to be a likely AFC playoff team before earning a reputation for collapsing, and when they meet the Browns in December they will be in the midst of another push for the postseason. There will be a much clearer picture of both the Browns and the Raiders by that point, but it is fair to expect that game to have playoff significance for both sides, as well as a potential playoff matchup preview.