Raiders have an AFC West problem

They are, by far, the worst team in the division

The Las Vegas Raiders are clearly one of the very worst teams in the NFL as they sit at 2-9 (tied for the worst record in the league) as they sit on a seven-game losing streak.

The franchise has many issues on the roster and on the coaching staff and it is going to take a while to dig out of their current state.

Making the Raiders’ challenge of becoming a quality team in the foreseeable future is the state of the AFC West. The three other teams are much better than the Raiders and they all seem like they are built for sustained success.

The formula of NFL success is built on the head coach and the quarterback. The three other teams in the division are set at both areas.

Andy Reid, Sean Payton and Jim Harbaugh are all upper-echelon coaches. Reid and Payton have won Super Bowls and Harbaugh has coached in a Super Bowl and won the NCAA national championship at Michigan last year before revitalizing the Los Angeles Chargers.

Meanwhile, Antonio Pierce is 7-13 as the Raiders coach since becoming the interim coach last year.

Meanwhile, while the Raiders are unsettled at quarterback, the other teams boast Patrick Mahomes, Justin Herbert and Bo Nix, who looks like the real deal as a rookie.

Indeed, the Raiders have an AFC West problem.

Sunday’s 29-19 home loss to the Denver Broncos illustrated the Raiders’ plight in the division. Nix and the Broncos swept the season series with the Raiders for the first time in 10 years. The Raiders had won eight straight games against the Broncos going into this season.

But with Payton and Nix, the Broncos are headed in the right direction and are in the thick of the AFC playoff race.

The Raiders are now 0-4 in the division with a game at Kansas City on Friday. They close the season at home against the Chargers.

The focus is on the future for the Raiders, but as they try to improve the roster in 2025, they will be doing so knowing they have an uphill battle in the division.