Oakland Raiders 2015 Schedule: Win-Loss Predictions for Every Game
Are you ready for some football? Well, not quite yet but let’s get prepared with the official release of the NFL schedule, per NFL.com. Realistically, the Oakland Raiders are looking at an 8-8 season.
Playoff contenders aren’t cultivated overnight, but Raider Nation will see significant progress from the Silver and Black. Nonetheless, the franchise is still a season away from making a legitimate playoff push.
The basis of these predictions were made with a major concern for the Raiders secondary. The starting cornerbacks are a major concern heading into the season. Teams with explosive wide receivers capable of going over the top or dominating with physicality have the advantage over the defense.
On a positive note, teams that struggle to move the ball vertically match up poorly against the Raiders.
Jack Del Rio's defensive expertise and the use high draft picks on defensive prospects will hold more running backs under 100 rushing yards than in recent history.
Keep in mind rosters aren’t set and early predictions are subject to change.
Here are the predictions for all 16 games this season. The Raiders' bye week is Week 6.
Week 1: Cincinnati Bengals at Oakland Raiders
1 of 16
Kickoff time and network: Sunday, Sept. 13 at 1:25 p.m. PT on CBS
The Raiders open the season at home against a familiar face across the sideline. Hue Jackson, the offensive coordinator of the Cincinnati Bengals, will stick it to the Raiders in their home opener.
As previously mentioned, the Raiders will struggle against bigger, more athletic receivers capable of going over the top.
A.J. Green will likely exploit the Raiders secondary all day. Jackson will use both RBs in Giovani Bernard and Jeremy Hill as short-yardage receivers to set up the deep ball.
Don’t be surprised to see Denarius Moore get in on the action as a newcomer, former Raider and a decent No. 2 receiver. There’s always extra juice in your game when lining up against a former team.
Defensively, the Bengals didn’t have much turnover in the offseason. The defense will remain tough on the interior with the addition of A.J. Hawk.
Secondly, Oakland will continue to work out the kinks in a new up-tempo offense that won’t pose a major threat to the Bengals on the perimeter.
Prediction: Loss
Bengals 27, Raiders 16
Record: 0-1
Week 2: Baltimore Ravens at Oakland Raiders
2 of 16
Kickoff time and network: Sunday, Sept. 20 at 1:05 p.m. PT on CBS
This year, the Raiders won’t have to wait as long to earn their first win. It should come along against the Baltimore Ravens.
The Ravens don’t have a receiver that can dominate the secondary. Steve Smith Sr. proved he can still play with the NFL’s best, but he can’t do it alone. Torrey Smith was the receiver to stretch the field, but now he’s in San Francisco.
Quarterback Joe Flacco was also accustomed to dumping off passes to a tight end when in peril. Owen Daniels is no longer in Baltimore and the Ravens must lean on their rushing attack, which should be thwarted by Dan Williams, Justin Ellis and Curtis Lofton.
This should be the perfect game to mix and match RBs Trent Richardson, Latavius Murray and Roy Helu in the game plan. Richardson should earn a decent share of the carries, testing the interior defense without Haloti Ngata.
Murray should be able to capitalize with speed on the edge with an occasional pass toward Helu in the flat to keep Terrell Suggs out of the box. When the Ravens get too aggressive defending the run, it gives Derek Carr a golden opportunity to throw a bomb to Rod Streater down the sidelines.
Prediction: Win
Raiders 23, Ravens 13
Record: 1-1
Week 3: Oakland Raiders at Cleveland Browns
3 of 16
Kickoff time and network: Sunday, Sept. 27 at 10:00 a.m. PT on CBS
Honestly, the Cleveland Browns are still a complete mess.
The roster lacks offensive skill players to attack a defense. Wide receivers Dwayne Bowe and Brian Hartline aren’t going to get it done.
Oakland should be able to keep the Browns under 14 points on their turf.
Joe Haden, Tramon Williams and Donte Whitner are capable of making plays in the secondary. Offensive coordinator Bill Musgrave should utilize the trio of running backs to keep the Browns defense on edge. Power, speed and versatility from the RBs will be the key to eroding the Browns defense.
It’ll be an ugly game to watch, but the Raiders should win it.
Prediction: Win
Raiders 23, Browns 10
Record: 2-1
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Week 4: Oakland Raiders at Chicago Bears
4 of 16
Kickoff time and network: Sunday, Oct. 4 at 10:00 a.m. PT on CBS
The Chicago Bears were in a tailspin at the end of 2014, but they’ll recover some of their dignity under new head coach John Fox.
Yes, Jay Cutler is a turnover machine, but he takes enough chances as a gunslinger to put up more points than the opponent.
Sure, Brandon Marshall was traded, but Alshon Jeffrey, Martellus Bennett and Matt Forte will overload the Raiders defense.
Forte, as a combination RB, will hurt the Raiders on the edge, without a defensive end capable of tracking him down. Jeffrey could potentially have a career day against Hayden or Carrie.
Don’t expect a field day against the Bears defense reminiscent of last year. Fox will improve the defense with a few tweaks. Jared Allen, Ray McDonald, Antrel Rolle and Kyle Fuller will all be Pro Bowl candidates in 2015.
Aside from Streater, the Raiders have slower receivers that aren’t capable of spreading out defenders, which poses a problem for the return of a more physical Bears defense.
Prediction: Loss
Raiders 20, Bears 35
Record: 2-2
Week 5: Denver Broncos at Oakland Raiders
5 of 16
Kickoff time and network: Sunday, Oct. 11 at 1:25 p.m. PT on CBS
The Broncos still have an overwhelming arsenal on offense, despite losing Julius Thomas. Demaryius Thomas will have another productive year against the Raiders secondary.
Aqib Talib and Chris Harris Jr. are two of the better CBs in the league and will put the clamps on Streater and Jones or Crabtree.
Von Miller will continue applying pressure off the edge and should be an interesting matchup against Austin Howard or Donald Penn.
Overall, the Broncos have a better team than the Raiders. At 39 years old, Peyton Manning, is still capable of throwing five TD passes when healthy.
Prediction: Loss
Broncos 41, Raiders 20
Record: 2-3
Week 7: Oakland Raiders at San Diego Chargers
6 of 16
Kickoff time and network: Sunday, Oct. 25 at 1:05 p.m. PT on CBS
This matchup will heavily favor the Raiders because Philip Rivers won’t be at the helm.
Yes, the Chargers will unload Rivers prior to, during or after the draft. Rivers was unsure of his future with the franchise in an interview with UTSanDiego.com's Kevin Acee. San Diego would risk losing him for absolutely nothing if he doesn’t re-sign at the end of the season. San Diego should be preparing for a new era, and I’m not just referring to the stadium in Los Angeles.
Rivers will be traded to a team desperate for a QB. The Raiders should be able to feast on a team in flux. Ryan Matthews has already departed. Oakland’s defense should be able to hold the Chargers below 17 points.
Offensively, Rod Streater at 6’3” should be able to dominate a 5’10” Brandon Flowers in deep-ball situations. The linebacker corps is the strength of the Chargers defense. Play-action and deep routes should keep the Raiders on top of a hapless Chargers team.
Prediction: Win
Raiders 34, Chargers 13
Record: 3-3
Week 8: New York Jets at Oakland Raiders
7 of 16
Kickoff time and network: Sunday, Nov. 1 at 1:05 p.m. PT on CBS
A rematch of the 2014 season-opener should bring a slightly different result.
The value of the receivers drop slightly with Geno Smith at the helm. Brandon Marshall is a big, physical receiver who can go over the top, but Smith has difficulties throwing the deep ball.
In 2014, Smith completed just 12 of 45 passes and threw five touchdowns to eight interceptions when passing 20 yards or more down the field, per Pro Football Focus. He has the weapons but doesn’t have the aptitude to utilize Marshall’s skill set against Oakland.
Todd Bowles is a defensive guru but cannot waive a magic wand to fix Smith’s poor accuracy.
Musgrave should attack the Jets' veteran linebackers who are susceptible in intermediate pass routes. Helu and tight end Mychal Rivera have advantageous matchups against David Harris and Calvin Pace in coverage.
Prediction: Win
Jets 17, Raiders 20
Record: 4-3
Week 9: Oakland Raiders at Pittsburgh Steelers
8 of 16
Kickoff time and network: Sunday, Nov. 8 at 10:00 a.m. PT on CBS
The Pittsburgh Steelers defense won’t look the same without Troy Polamalu, Ike Taylor and Jason Worilds.
Jarvis Jones, Ryan Shazier and Cortez Allen are all forced to grow up quickly within the defense. Nine weeks is enough time for these younger players to gain some footing, but expect a shootout in this contest.
The offense will lead the Steelers to victory. Ben Roethlisberger and Antonio Brown will show the Raiders why a powerful QB-to-WR tandem is important in today’s NFL when the defense struggles.
Brown isn’t a tall receiver, but he’s dynamic and an exceptional route-runner.
At 6'4", Martavis Bryant is the Steelers' most prominent red-zone threat. In 2014, he caught eight touchdown passes as a rookie. He’ll be the X-factor and breakout player featured in a Steelers victory over the Raiders.
Prediction: Loss
Raiders 35, Steelers 38
Record: 4-4
Week 10: Minnesota Vikings at Oakland Raiders
9 of 16
Kickoff time and network: Sunday, Nov. 15 at 1:05 p.m. PT on FOX
The Minnesota Vikings are in full rebuild mode, and it seems Adrian Peterson is on his way out of the door.
Teddy Bridgewater had a solid 2014 campaign. However, he must get acclimated with a new No. 1 receiving option in Mike Wallace.
The Vikings don’t have an offense capable of threatening the Raiders consistently. Streater should be a factor against another pass defense susceptible to the deep ball.
Last year, opposing signal-callers had a 104.4 QB rating, per PFF, when throwing at starting CB Captain Munnerlyn in coverage.
Oakland should be able to beat the Vikings without much resistance other than a scrambling Bridgewater attempting to throw the deep ball to Wallace on the perimeter.
Prediction: Win
Raiders 33, Vikings 14
Record: 5-4
Week 11: Oakland Raiders at Detroit Lions
10 of 16
Kickoff time and network: Sunday, Nov. 22 at 10:00 a.m. PT on CBS
The Detroit Lions lost both Ndamukong Suh and Nick Fairley during free agency.
Suh’s replacement, Ngata, is long in the tooth but still a formidable defensive tackle that swallows RBs up the middle.
The Lions defense will be led by Stephon Tulloch, Ezekiel Ansah and DeAndre Levy up front—all potential Pro Bowlers. Richardson won’t have much room to run up the middle. The coaching staff should unleash Carr in another shootout.
A shootout gives the Raiders a better chance at winning, but Calvin Johnson will overwhelm Hayden over the top, easily recording almost 200 receiving yards en route to victory.
Prediction: Loss
Raiders 24, Lions 33
Record: 5-5
Week 12: Oakland Raiders at Tennessee Titans
11 of 16
Kickoff time and network: Sunday, Nov. 29 at 10:00 a.m. PT on CBS
Whether the Tennessee Titans draft Marcus Mariota or not, the team is destined to win three games in 2015. This isn’t one of those games.
The Titans bolstered their secondary by signing Perrish Cox and Da’Norris Searcy, but the defensive line has yet to see improvement.
Murray and Richardson could have a field day splitting the carries and gauging the front four.
The Raiders should control the flow of the game throughout with the rushing attack or using the rush to set up play-action in a vertical assault. Titans can pick their poison, but the result won’t change.
Prediction: Win
Raiders 41, Titans 12
Record: 6-5
Week 13: Kansas City Chiefs at Oakland Raiders
12 of 16
Kickoff time and network: Sunday, Dec. 6 at 1:05 p.m. PT on CBS
The Raiders have an advantageous matchup against the Chiefs. Jeremy Maclin’s arrival won’t turn Alex Smith into a gunslinger. He’s a dink-and-dunk QB whose skill set doesn’t involve throwing the ball 20 yards or more down the field.
Maclin will record some catches, but he’s not going to significantly impact the game as much as he should. Jamaal Charles is still the engine of the offense, but he won’t push the Raiders around as easily with Williams and Ellis clogging the middle.
The Chiefs will struggle without an explosive approach to attacking the Raiders defense. As a result, the game will remain close enough for the Raiders to make a play late. The absence of Eric Berry roaming the secondary will also play a part in the Raiders' victory.
Prediction: Win
Raiders 26, Chiefs 20
Record: 7-5
Week 14: Oakland Raiders at Denver Broncos
13 of 16
Kickoff time and network: Sunday, Dec. 13 at 1:05 p.m. PT on CBS
This game should be closer than the Week 5 contest. At 39, Manning, isn’t capable of playing a 16-game season without a slight drop off as the season progresses. The grind of a full NFL season has and will continue to hinder his production late in the season.
Oakland will still lose the game, but it should be a competitive contest through four quarters.
Similar to the 2014 season, Anderson will run behind a big offensive line for some remarkable 100-plus-rushing-yard games. It won’t be easy against a tougher Raiders rush defense, but the threat of the pass will be enough to keep Lofton from crowding the box.
Oakland’s offense will put up more points than the previous contest, but not enough for the win.
Prediction: Loss
Raiders 24, Broncos 31
Record: 7-6
Week 15: Green Bay Packers at Oakland Raiders
14 of 16
Kickoff time and network: Sunday, Dec. 20 at 1:05 p.m. PT on FOX
The Packers have retained the crux of their offense, and as usual they’ll be rolling at this point in the season.
Aaron Rodgers will do what he does best and dissect the Raiders' flawed, inexperienced secondary with Jordy Nelson and Randall Cobb.
The Raiders defense will be overmatched, and the offense won’t be able to win a shootout with Rodgers and co.
In fact, this game could get out of hand pretty quickly if the Raiders don’t play with a sense of pride in front of their fans at home.
Prediction: Loss
Packers 49, Raiders, 20
Record: 7-7
Week 16: San Diego Chargers at Oakland Raiders
15 of 16
Kickoff time and network: Thursday, Dec. 24 at 5:25 p.m. PT on NFL Network
This is the Raiders’ primetime game on Christmas Eve. It’s also the final home game of the season. Expect the Raiders to put on a show against the Chargers in this home finale.
As previously mentioned, I strongly believe Rivers will be playing for a new team in 2015. The Raiders will take the lid off the defense with Streater. Expect Crabtree and Jones to pad their stats. Both of their contracts are set to expire at the end of the season.
Carr should be able to spread the ball to his receivers against a San Diego team already looking forward to the offseason. Raiders win big at home in Oakland with Los Angeles looming.
Prediction: Win
Chargers 9, Raiders 44
Record: 8-7
Week 17: Oakland Raiders at Kansas City Chiefs
16 of 16
Kickoff time and network: Sunday, Jan. 3 at 10:00 a.m. PT on CBS
In the season finale, it’s possible both teams could be sitting at eight wins with a Wild Card spot at stake.
Arrowhead Stadium is still a tough place to win, and it’ll be the difference in this contest. The Raiders will split the season series with the Chiefs and drop to 8-8.
The last Raiders' victory at Arrowhead Stadium happened in 2012. Neither team is significantly better than the other, and in those cases the tilt goes to the home team. In this case it’s a more experienced home team.
Carr hasn’t played in a game where the stakes were raised with playoff intentions. It’s not clear how the second-year QB will handle added pressure.
Smith is a battle-tested QB. His playoff resume is limited, but the fact he has played in high pressure games gives him the edge over Carr, who’s new to the scenario.
This is all hypothetical, but if this game has playoff intentions, the Chiefs have the edge against an upstart Raiders team. Oakland has a better chance of winning without playoff intentions and urgency. Either way, it’s difficult envisioning the Raiders winning at Arrowhead against a well-coached Andy Reid Chiefs team.
Prediction: Loss
Raiders 17, Chiefs 23
Record: 8-8
What are your predictions for the Raiders season? Are they better or worse than an 8-8 record? Is 8-8 an accurate assessment? Tweet your thoughts to Maurice's twitter. All opinions are welcome.
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