2016 Oakland Raiders Schedule: Full Listing of Dates, Times and TV Info

The Oakland Raiders are currently tied for the second-longest active playoff drought in the NFL at 13 years, behind only the Buffalo Bills. The team's accumulation of young talent suggests the light is finally appearing at the end of the tunnel, though.

Led by quarterback Derek Carr and linebacker Khalil Mack, the Raiders finally have the foundation in place to start building toward long-term success. They emerged from last season's 7-9 campaign with a lot of positives to build off heading into 2016.

They supplemented that progress with the addition of several free agents, including offensive lineman Kelechi Osemele, linebacker Bruce Irvin and cornerback Sean Smith. Now the question is whether they are prepared to get over the hump and back into the postseason.

Let's check out the schedule they face in an effort to make that happen. That's followed by some analysis about the Raiders' chances of becoming 2016's breakout team.

Schedule

Here is a look at the complete 2016 Raiders schedule:

Week	Date	Opponent	Time (ET)	TV
1	Sept. 11	at New Orleans Saints	1 p.m.	FOX
2	Sept. 18	vs. Atlanta Falcons	4:25 p.m.	CBS
3	Sept. 25	at Tennessee Titans	1 p.m.	CBS
4	Oct. 2	at Baltimore Ravens	1 p.m.	CBS
5	Oct. 9	vs. San Diego Chargers	4:25 p.m.	CBS
6	Oct. 16	vs. Kansas City Chiefs	4:05 p.m.	CBS
7	Oct. 23	at Jacksonville Jaguars	1 p.m.	CBS
8	Oct. 30	at Tampa Bay Buccaneers	1 p.m.	CBS
9	Nov. 6	vs. Denver Broncos	8:30 p.m.	NBC
10	BYE
11	Nov. 21	vs. Houston Texans	8:30 p.m.	ESPN
12	Nov. 27	vs. Carolina Panthers	4:25 p.m.	CBS
13	Dec. 4	vs. Buffalo Bills	4:05 p.m.	CBS
14	Dec. 8	at Kansas City Chiefs	8:25 p.m.	NBC/NFL Network
15	Dec. 18	at San Diego Chargers	4:25 p.m.	CBS
16	Dec. 24	vs. Indianapolis Colts	4:05 p.m.	CBS
17	Jan. 1	at Denver Broncos	4:25 p.m.	CBS

Analysis

David Richard/Associated Press

The Raiders' progress was on full display last season. Not only did their record improve by four games, but five of their nine losses were by a single score. That's part of a young team finding its way in the NFL, so expect better results in those close contests in 2016 and beyond.

As always, the most prominent key to success in the NFL is stability at quarterback. Carr provided that in his second season by throwing for just under 4,000 yards with 32 touchdowns en route to a 91.1 passer rating, which was up from a 76.6 mark as a rookie.

After last season, Josh Dubow of the Associated Press passed along comments from Carr, who spotlighted the future amid the disappointment of not quite making the playoffs:

"

We definitely feel like we should be playing [in the playoffs], but we didn't earn it. There are some teams in the playoffs that we played against. There are teams that we saw the mistakes they had and they barely beat us and things like that. We see where we're headed. Obviously we didn't earn it, we're not there yet, but we see where we're headed.

"

The good news for the Raiders, and their always passionate fanbase, is that they shouldn't have to wait much longer to get involved in postseason football again.

Along with Carr, Oakland features a budding group of offensive playmakers, featuring Latavius Murray, Amari Cooper and Michael Crabtree. Adding Osemele should also provide some additional power up front for an offensive line that rated 19th in run blocking last season, per Football Outsiders.

The defensive equivalent of a franchise quarterback is a do-it-all linebacker, and that's exactly what the Raiders have in Mack. He's become known for his pass-rushing abilities after racking up 15 sacks last season, but there's really nothing he can't do, whether it's stopping the run or dropping into coverage.

Additions like Irvin and Smith should create a more well-rounded unit instead of leaning too heavily on Mack or the now-retired Charles Woodson to come up with big plays. In turn, it's a defense that has a good chance to crack the top 10.

Put it all together and the Raiders have the feel of a playoff contender in 2016.

Pivotal Matchups

Peter G. Aiken/Getty Images

Typically playing in the same division as the reigning Super Bowl champions would mean a team like the Raiders is relegated to battling for a wild-card spot. That's not necessarily the case for the Raiders since the Denver Broncos are going through a transition at quarterback.

Instead, the AFC West is really wide open until it becomes more clear exactly how good the Broncos can be as they attempt to defend their title. It leaves the door open for the Raiders to compete for the division crown. Their goal should be to go at least 4-2 in those divisional contests.

The other crucial games from a potential wild-card perspective are home games against the Houston Texans, Indianapolis Colts and Buffalo Bills as well as a road clash with the Baltimore Ravens. A combined 3-1 mark in those contests would put them firmly on the right track.

If Oakland can reach those two benchmarks, it would be 7-3, which means playing .500 football across the other six games would likely lead to a playoff berth. So there's definitely a path to the postseason, the question is whether the Raiders are now ready for the challenge.