Realistic expectations for the season

[Viper]

With Mendoza needing time to adjust, an unproven O line and what I consider average receivers, I’m not really expecting to light it up on offense.

Defensively, we should be at least middle of the pack. That should go a long ways in helping stack wins.

Having said that, we are improved across the board yet still more work to do. I would predict we have 6 wins this year, double what we had last year. If Pete can manage 3 last year, I have faith with a better coaching staff we can do better. If we can beat the teams we’re supposed to plus staying close in the 4th quarter against better talent, we have a punchers chance in some of those.

Personally, at least another year or two to make some real noise if we nail FA and the draft.

[Attyla]

I do not as a habit predict records. Way too many factors go into a season, including injuries to both our team and other teams. Trends in the NFL are a thing and the chiefs trended down while the Broncos and Chargers trended up. I do not think the Chiefs will trend down again and could wind up at the top of the division. I also do not think the Broncos can sustain what they did last year.

All that to say, we are still the basement in my mind, a slightly improved basement so I got us at around 6 wins if we stay relatively healthy.

[Viper]

I do not as a habit predict records. Way too many factors go into a season, including injuries to both our team and other teams. Trends in the NFL are a thing and the chiefs trended down while the Broncos and Chargers trended up. I do not think the Chiefs will trend down again and could wind up at the top of the division. I also do not think the Broncos can sustain what they did last year.

All that to say, we are still the basement in my mind, a slightly improved basement so I got us at around 6 wins if we stay relatively healthy.

I agree that the time to hit the Chiefs is while Mahomes is still down. Hopefully we play them early. I also agree the Broncos won’t sustain what they did last year while the Chargers are still a formidable opponent.
I don’t necessarily think total wins/losses is the deciding factor for a successful season as it’s year one in a definite rebuild. But rebuilds have been done before, and it usually starts at Qb and build around him. This is exactly what we are attempting and it’s been successful in the past. You don’t invent the wheel twice.
A successful season in my mind is being competitive, not being out of reach of winning games by mid 3rd quarter and not looking at mock drafts 8 games into the season.

[Attyla]

I agree that the time to hit the Chiefs is while Mahomes is still down. Hopefully we play them early. I also agree the Broncos won’t sustain what they did last year while the Chargers are still a formidable opponent.
I don’t necessarily think total wins/losses is the deciding factor for a successful season as it’s year one in a definite rebuild. But rebuilds have been done before, and it usually starts at Qb and build around him. This is exactly what we are attempting and it’s been successful in the past. You don’t invent the wheel twice.
A successful season in my mind is being competitive, not being out of reach of winning games by mid 3rd quarter and not looking at mock drafts 8 games into the season.

The first year record will not reflect the progress for sure. I think the vibe going into this season is one of optimism for the future. Year two is where record matters. If we do not see a marked improvement in that regard in 2027 we got it wrong.....again. I don't think we got it wrong but we will not know until September (late September to be precise) when we start putting it all together this year.

[vtraider]

As bad as we were last year and being a completely new team and coaching staff. Really all i want to see is a competitive team this year. And by competitive i mean keeping it close in more games than not into the fourth quarter. If i had to put a record out there. I would be thrilled with 6-8 wins

[Willmark]

Not trying to piss on anyone’s chips but do we KNOW the coaching staff is better?
I think I’m right in saying the HC, the OC and the DC have never held that responsibility before.
No doubt will be a learning curve for them as well. Hopefully not too steep!
Maybe they’ll take to it like a duck to water but maybe they’ll be some wrinkles.

Hopefully they will not be under pressure for the next 2 seasons, let them try and construct a team and get a culture and methodology in place.

I’d hope we’re more competitive this year. Not many blow outs. Inching towards a losing season but only by a few games, still in a good draft position, capitalise on that next year and start pushing for a winning season in 2027.

We don’t.

That’s said it’s going to be hard to be worse than last year.

[Willmark]

I do not as a habit predict records. Way too many factors go into a season, including injuries to both our team and other teams. Trends in the NFL are a thing and the chiefs trended down while the Broncos and Chargers trended up. I do not think the Chiefs will trend down again and could wind up at the top of the division. I also do not think the Broncos can sustain what they did last year.

All that to say, we are still the basement in my mind, a slightly improved basement so I got us at around 6 wins if we stay relatively healthy.

Agreed.

We are at the bottom looking up. But one thing that might work for us? I expect the AFC as a whole to be chaotic this upcoming season.

[Attyla]

We don’t.

That’s said it’s going to be hard to be worse than last year.

I do think that too much is made out of "such and such coach has never held this level of coaching before." These guys are coaches, they have coached for years. They have seen the job and been in high level meetings where plays are designed and game plans are built. They have worked with players and other than not having the next level of coaching responsibility before, they have seen and interacted with all levels of the game before.

If the draft taught us anything, it did teach us that Leonard is being set up for success. The offensive minded head coach did not neglect the defense and the GM knew that Leonard needed fresh bodies to get his job done. Everyone in the building knew that the offense had been the focus for far too long and we had scraps on the defense. I am convinced that Leonard, in his interview, stated clearly that he would not take the job unless the defense was given the necessary pieces to aid him in doing his job. Thus free agency and the draft really revitalized that part of the game.

Kubiak demonstrated his mature approach to the draft in that we focused on the team, not on one side of the ball. Spytek demonstrated he is calling the shots. And what a great call to Mendoza to welcome him to the Raiders, but what nobody saw as there was one thing lacking in that moment. You never saw Doofus in the film. He was probably there but he was not front and center. He was an observer. That is what I want. I want rich owners to be seen and not heard. Go to your strip bars and eat your PF Changs and let the pros do their job.

[RI RAIDER]

Record be damned, all I am looking for is Mendoza to show us that he is on the path to be a franchise QB. I am not happy with our OL and WR's (hopefully I am dead ass wrong). I just thought we should have done more with the offense than what we did. I think we should have done a better job protecting our investments (Mendoza and Jeanty). Time will tell. I am not trying to piss in anyone's Cheerios, but just trying to be a realist. Flame away.

[LeadCrew]

"Las Vegas to host Super Bowl LXIII in 2029" is my expectation. And the one in 2028 as well. I might as well add Jeremiah Smith or Cam Coleman in next year's draft!

[JRaider17]

I expect us to be mostly competitive with an upward trajectory as the season comes to a close. Finishing better than we started is a low but pivotal bar.

[haji81872]

Not trying to piss on anyone’s chips but do we KNOW the coaching staff is better?
I think I’m right in saying the HC, the OC and the DC have never held that responsibility before.
No doubt will be a learning curve for them as well. Hopefully not too steep!
Maybe they’ll take to it like a duck to water but maybe they’ll be some wrinkles.

Hopefully they will not be under pressure for the next 2 seasons, let them try and construct a team and get a culture and methodology in place.

I’d hope we’re more competitive this year. Not many blow outs. Inching towards a losing season but only by a few games, still in a good draft position, capitalise on that next year and start pushing for a winning season in 2027.

Because they quite literally could not be worse.

[chucker]

It's actually impossible to imagine how we could be as bad in 2026 as in 2025 given all the upgrades on the roster - even ignoring the coaching staff. We've also seen "upgrades" that didn't work at all in the past, so it's too soon to drink the real koolaid.

I've been talking about 2027 for a while because 2026 is a development year in my eyes. The keys for me are Mendoza looking good for a rookie, and Leonard looking like a real deal DC. That is what will set us up for 2027. If we win 7 games and look competitive in most of the losses then I'll consider it a decent season with optimism for the future. There's a possibility of a better season than that, but with a lot of moving parts we need a lot to go right.

[rhumbob]

Maybe 500?

Not get blown out

Develop young players

Manage the clock, challenges, time outs efficiently

Not be "the dumbest team in America"

Be entertaining on sundays.

[Xramfan]

Same as every regime change which has been almost annually.

I expect to begin a little rough but as the season progresses I want to see a team putting it together and getting better and better. I want to see results of better coaching and player development. I want to go into next off season with momentum and excited about what is building

[haji81872]

My high expectation is that I am able to watch an entire game.