Report Card

The Raiders entered the bye week with the second-best record in the AFC and ownership of first place in the West, a position few people thought they’d be in when the season began.

With about two months left in the regular season, however, the job was only half-finished and recent history hasn’t exactly been kind to the silver and black down the stretch.

Five years ago, for example, Oakland was in a similar position having won seven of its first 11 games and needing only one or two more to get into the playoffs. Instead, then-coach Hue Jackson’s squad dropped four of its final five games and wound up once again being on the outside looking in when it came to the postseason.

Although anything can happen, this year’s team isn’t likely to suffer the same type of meltdown.

With an explosive offense featuring three of the top players in the league at their respective positions — quarterback Derek Carr, wide receivers Michael Crabtree and Amari Cooper — and a defense that has overcome a shaky start, the Raiders may be in line not to only end their postseason drought but battle for home field advantage as well.

Before a team can move forward, however, it must learn from its past. With that in mind, Silver and Black Illustrated offers up our annual misfeasor report card. It’s actually just past the halfway mark but given that the Raiders were enjoying a bye week when this issue went to press, we figured it was as good a time as any.

QUARTERBACKS: B+