The Las Vegas Raiders are 5-2 for the first time since 2016.
And now, they will start their bye week in a different place than recent years past: as No. 1 in the AFC West.
"With the injuries, with everything our team has been through, this bye week couldn't come at a better time," Derek Carr said postgame.
Even with the resiliency the team has displayed over the past few weeks, it's the perfect time to take a step back and assess everything that has gone right – and wrong – on their way to .714 win percentage.
Also, as Carr said, it will also be a time to get healthy.
Though it was a complete win from all phases in the 33-22 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles, the Raiders came away a bit banged up. Running back Josh Jacobs left the game with a chest injury, while guard John Simpson sustained injuries throughout the game and tight end Darren Waller was held out with an ankle injury that began on Friday
However, the Silver and Black won't be kicking their feet up on their week off.
"It's not just a week off where we just lay on the couch, guys have to work to get healthy, guys have to work to get better," Carr said. "And if we do that, take care of business that way, then we should be able to go on a run and take care of business when it comes,"
Carr's teammates will no doubt take his advice of working to improve, as Interim Head Coach Rich Bisaccia noted that No. 4 is not only an exceptional leader on the field, but off it as well.
"On the field, he's a tremendous leader. He has an incredible understanding of what we're trying to do on offense," Bisaccia said. "We can all see the relationship that him and Greg Olson have running this offense, it's really coming to fruition. … Off the field, Derek is the voice of the Raiders right now. Players always want to listen to him, they always go to him, they ask him all kinds of things."
That leadership to push his teammates to be at their best aligns with what Bisaccia preaches to the team: never-ending improvement.
While some may think that the Raiders could lose energy by having a bye after two dominating wins, running back Kenyan Drake disagrees. Mostly because, to him and his teammates, this squad and their brotherhood feels different.
"I love going to work every day. I love seeing the [people] that [are] there, not saying that that wasn't the case before when I was on any other team, but this team is something special and I feel like a lot of people around this league feel the same way," Drake said.
"Just looking forward to continue to use this momentum as the season goes on."
