For Raiders fans, the idea of sitting on top of the AFC West has felt about as familiar as a perfect season. The franchise hasn’t won the division since 2002, and if Las Vegas can knock off the Chiefs in Week 4 to stay unbeaten, it would grab sole possession of first place - something that has been rare in the last two decades.
That 2002 team was the last one to finish the job in the AFC West, and it did so under Bill Calahan after Jon Gruden had been traded to the Buccaneers. Calahan had been the Raiders’ offensive coordinator before taking over, and he guided the team to a third straight division title. Rich Gannon was the engine, throwing for an NFL-best 4,689 yards.
The Raiders went 11-5 that season and pushed all the way to the Super Bowl after beating the Jets and Titans in the playoffs. Gruden, of course, got the final word there, beating his former team on the biggest stage.
Since then, the drought has stretched on. Las Vegas is tied with the Jets for the second-longest active division title drought in the NFL, with only the Browns - last on top in 1989 - waiting longer to climb back to the top of their division.
There have been a few brief flashes along the way, though none lasted. In 2023, the Raiders opened 1-0 by beating the Broncos while the Chiefs and Chargers also lost in Week 1, giving Las Vegas a temporary share of first place. That didn’t hold, and the team finished 8-9.
The more meaningful recent stretch came in 2021. By Week 7, after a 33-22 win over the Eagles, the Raiders were 5-2 heading into their bye.
At that point, the Chiefs were 3-4, the Broncos were 3-4, and the Chargers were 4-2. Even then, the lead didn’t stick around for long.
Las Vegas finished 10-7 and sneaked into the playoffs as a wild card, while Kansas City surged late to win the division.
The 2016 season was another rare moment when the Raiders looked like a division contender. They were 7-2 through Week 9, then pushed to 8-2 with a win in Week 11.
Later, after beating the Chargers in Week 15 to improve to 11-3, they were back in first place. But Kansas City matched their 12-4 record and won the tiebreaker, leaving the Raiders second.
Those 2016 and 2021 seasons stand out for another reason: they’re the only Raiders playoff trips since 2002. Now, with the Klint Kubiak era off to a fast start in 2026 and Kirk Cousins playing well, Las Vegas has a chance to chase something that has been missing for a long time.
In Other News...
Raiders Suddenly Need More From The Offense Before Chiefs Game
Jack Bechs Week 3 injury forced the Raiders to lean harder on depth than they had probably planned, and the answer from offensive coordinator Andrew Janocko has been a familiar one: adjust on the fly and spread the workload around. Las Vegas has already started using its tight end duo more heavily, while also looking for ways to get other receivers involved and keep the formation flexible enough to hide the absence of a key target.
With the Chiefs up next, the Raiders offense needs to be more than just serviceable, because a one-player loss can quickly become a wider test of how adaptable the unit really is. Janockos approach points toward more versatile personnel packages and a bigger role for the run game and additional pass-catching options, but the real question is whether all of those moving parts can add up to enough production against a tougher opponent. [Read more 🡒]
Raiders Week 4 Push Comes With A Bigger Rams Question
The Raiders head into Week 4 with a bigger-picture roster lens than the usual divisional urgency, because the game in front of them is only part of the conversation. With Kansas City on deck, the focus stays on keeping the season moving, but the evaluation behind the scenes is already widening toward next offseason and how Las Vegas can better support coach Klint Kubiaks system.
Much of that attention is landing on the Rams, where several players have become relevant free-agent names for the Raiders to monitor. Their recent form makes the fit worth exploring, and Las Vegas has reason to study how those pieces might translate if the front office decides to add more help on either side of the ball. The Week 4 push matters now, but the roster-building questions are starting to matter just as much. [Read more 🡒]
Former Raiders DC Suddenly Faces Pressure Steelers Fans Didn't Expect
Patrick Grahams move from Las Vegas to Pittsburgh was supposed to give the Steelers a fresh defensive voice heading into the 2026 season, and for a stretch it looked like the kind of hire that could settle things down. Instead, his first few weeks on the job have brought the same sort of uneven results that followed him at times with the Raiders, where the relationship between coach and organization never felt especially smooth.
Now the pressure is building in a place that rarely waits long to judge. Recent game footage appeared to catch T.J. Watt showing visible frustration toward Graham, a telling moment for a defense that is still trying to find its footing amid larger organizational issues. For a coordinator brought in to steady things, the tension is starting to become part of the story. [Read more 🡒]