With a final record of 6-11, the Raiders took a step back from their winning ways in 2021. The team struggled on the road, going 2-7. At home, the team played .500 football, going 4-4. The Raiders lost their first three games of 2022 and followed that up with a win over the Denver Broncos. The team lost to the Chiefs by a final score of 30-29 but bounced back to defeat the Texans 38-20. The team lost the next three games before beating the Broncos a second time in the season. Their four-game losing streak at the end of the season assured the team that they would not be playing in the playoffs.
The Raiders had a winning season in 2021. Taking second place in the AFC West with a record of 10-7 meant that the team would get a Wild Card playoff spot. They faced the Bengals on January 15 and kept it close until the third quarter when Cincinnati pulled away. What got the Raiders to the playoffs was a four-game win streak at the end of the regular season. The overtime win against the Chargers in their final game of the regular season was just good enough to get them the spot in the playoffs. The team's record for home games in 2021 was 5-4.
During the offseason, the Raiders picked up Bilal Nichols from the Bears. Nichols had 51 tackles last season. Darius Phillips has joined the Raiders squad, in hopes of making the team. He showed great speed as a punt returner but struggled in 2020 and 2021. Maxx Crosby signed a massive four-year contract with the Raiders, with 53 million of that guaranteed. The biggest pickup for the team was a wide receiver, Davante Adams, from the Green Bay Packers. Adams is having a great season in Las Vegas. In the upcoming draft, the Raiders will have the 22nd pick in the first round. From there, they will pick 53rd, 86th, 126th, 164 and 165th, and finally 227th. The 126 pick comes from the trade with the Patriots as part of the Trent Brown deal. Josh McDaniels will coach the team in 2022.
