The Oakland Raiders have suffered four-consecutive losses with two coming at home, and it's caused them to slip even further in the power rankings.
Here are the Week 16 Power Rankings:
Current Ranking: 23
Previous Ranking: 22
Analysis:
At least Jon Gruden got his apology. The Raiders coach told reporters on Monday that the NFL acknowledged the game clock should have kept running after Derek Carr slid to the ground for a first down late in the fourth quarter against the Jaguars. Poor Carr said after the game that the clock stoppage was "one of the most shocking moments of my life." Game officials erroneously ruled that Carr had slid out of bounds, which gave the Jaguars the extra time they needed to mount a game-stealing touchdown drive. It was one last dose of heartbreak for the fans in Oakland, who didn't get to celebrate a win in the team's final home game before moving to Las Vegas in 2020. The depressing nature of Sunday's affair pretty neatly matched up with the past four weeks for the Raiders, who went from 6-4 to 6-8 faster than you can say Spider 2 Y Banana.
Current Ranking: 19
Previous Ranking: 18
Analysis:
Oh, you didn't know "Las Vegas" means "The Meadows" in Spanish? Indeed, the Raiders' long, strange move to southern Nevada since winning the right to relocate in 2017 will be on the forefront of the franchise this offseason -- even if the Raiders still plan to do their offseason program in Alameda and training camp in Napa back in California. But shy of any construction delays, the Las Vegas Raiders will debut in 2020. It's the end of an era for Oakland but the beginning of another for Sin City.
Current Ranking: 22
Previous Ranking: 21
Analysis:
I get that the Raiders had a tough early schedule and they look like they're out of gas. But that was still one incredibly bad loss. Forget that it was the final game in Oakland for the team, it's the kind of loss that further dissolves any positive vibes the team could have had heading to Las Vegas for next season. Nobody will remember that promising 6-4 start this year.
Current Ranking: 28
Previous Ranking: 22
Analysis:
On Sunday, the Oakland Raiders played their final game at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum.
It was a performance as depressing as the Raiders leaving town altogether. After Oakland led most of the way, the defense crumbled in crunch time, allowing the game-winning touchdown with less than a minute left.
For Gagnon, it wasn't a surprise—it simply exposed that the Raiders are frauds.
Current Ranking: 23
Previous Ranking: 18
Analysis:
They didn't exactly send the Oakland fans off with a nice showing in the loss to the Jaguars. This thing has gone bad in a big way.
