Finished: 3rd Place in the AFC West
2012 Draft Position: 17th
Preseason Ranking: 16
Week 1: Defeated the Denver Broncos, 23-20
Ranked - 14
The Raiders own the AFC West. They might really be on to something if they start beating teams from the other divisions.
Week 2: Lost at the Buffalo Bills, 38-35
Ranked - 17
A heartbreaking loss on the road. Oakland has their sights set squarely on an AFC Wild Card spot, but they can’t afford to let games slip through their fingers if they hope to get there.
Week 3: Defeated the New York Jets, 34-24
Ranked - 13
Note to self: Get revenge for the infamous hot dog incident of 2010. Check. Re-establish the running game a la Marcus Allen. Check. Just win, Baby. Check! Signed, Hue Jackson.
Week 4: Lost to the New England Patriots, 31-19
Ranked - 16
It's never good to face the Patriots after a loss. The Raiders found that out the hard way. Now it is up to this young team to rebound with a win before they fall back into their old, losing ways.
Week 5: Defeated the Houston Texans, 25-20
Ranked - 13
Just win, Baby. Talk about a perfect homage to the late Al Davis.
Week 6: Defeated the Cleveland Browns, 24-17
Ranked - 11 Indiana Jones Style Recap
[Carson Palmer storms out of a meeting with Bengals ownership]
Coach Jackson: Hey, what happened? You don't look very happy.
Carson Palmer: Fools. Bureaucratic fools!
Coach Jackson: What'd they say?
Carson Palmer: They don't know what they had there.
Coach Jackson: Well, I know what I've got here. Come on. I'll show you the playbook. You know, the playbook?
Week 7: Lost to the Kansas City Chiefs, 28-0
Ranked - 17
In a game that featured 8 interceptions, the Raiders QBs combined to throw 6 of them. It's still too early to say the Palmer trade was bad - and I don’t believe it is - but to get smoked at home 28-0 by the Chiefs doesn’t bode well for Oakland's immediate future.
Week 8: BYE WEEK
Ranked - 18
Nothing like moving into a tie for first place while sitting idle at home. We'll know soon enough if the bye week helped Carson Palmer adapt to the new offense.
Week 9: Lost to the Denver Broncos, 38-24
Ranked - 19
How long before the Palmer reclamation project turns the fans completely off?
Week 10: Defeated the San Diego Chargers, 24-17
Ranked - 17
The Raiders are all alone at the top of the standings in the one division in the AFC nobody wants to win.
Week 11: Defeated the Minnesota Vikings, 27-21
Ranked - 16
Suddenly Oakland is the team to beat in the AFC West.
Week 12: Defeated the Chicago Bears, 25-20
Ranked - 15
The Raiders are now clearly the best team in the AFC West.
Week 13: Lost at the Miami Dolphins, 34-14
Ranked - 15
Oakland's misstep in Miami has shifted control of the division to Denver, but if they can get healthy quick, it is their division to lose.
Week 14: Lost at the Green Bay Packers, 46-16
Ranked - 18
The season that once looked so promising is starting to slip away from the Raiders.
Week 15: Lost to the Detroit Lions, 28-27
Ranked - 19
The fourth quarter collapse against the Lions may have sealed Oakland's fate come playoff time.
Week 16: Defeated the Kansas City Chiefs, 16-13
Ranked - 13
I expect an ugly game from the Raiders this week, with lots of penalties and some long, booming kicks from Janikowski. I wonder, though, which will propel them to victory or send them home in bitter defeat?
Week 17: Lost to the San Diego Chargers, 38-26
Final Ranking: 22
Tomorrow, the 2011 San Diego Chargers...
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