2017 Oakland Raiders Schedule: Full Listing of Dates, Times and TV Info

Things are looking up for the Oakland Raiders.

After a 14-year playoff drought, the Raiders finished 12-4 and reached the postseason in 2016. While they lost their Wild Card Round matchup against the Houston Texans, they also were forced to play without franchise quarterback Derek Carr, who broke his leg in late December. 

Carr led the Raiders to the league's No. 6 offense in yards per game and No. 7 offense in points per contest. With Carr, wideouts Amari Cooper, Michael Crabtree and Cordarrelle Patterson, and tight end Jared Cook, the Raiders will again terrorize opponents through the air.

Add in an excellent offensive line and a defense that continues to improve, led by superstar Khalil Mack, and the future is bright for the Raiders. Carr is certainly ready to hit the ground running.

"I feel more driven, and that’s always a good thing around this time of year," he told Eddie Paskal of Raiders.com in early March. "For me, I’m more driven now than I ever have been, if that was possible, and I guess it is, so I’m trying to dominate my recovery, and come back stronger than ever, that way, when we hit the football field, we’re a better football team, and that’s what’s important to me."

Frankly, they should be considered one of the true Super Bowl contenders in the NFL this season, and they should compete for the AFC West crown with the Kansas City Chiefs and Denver Broncos.

Below, we'll break down the team's schedule and analyze the biggest matchups they'll face.

Week	Date	Opponent	Time (ET)	TV
1	Sept. 10	at Titans	1 p.m.	CBS
2	Sept. 17	vs. Jets	4:05 p.m.	CBS
3	Sept. 24	at Redskins	8:30 p.m.	NBC
4	Oct. 1	at Broncos	4:25 p.m.	CBS
5	Oct. 8	vs. Ravens	4:05 p.m.	CBS
6	Oct. 15	vs. Chargers	4:25 p.m.	CBS
7	Oct. 19	vs. Chiefs	8:25 p.m.	CBS, NFLN
8	Oct. 29	at Bills	1 p.m.	CBS
9	Nov. 5	at Dolphins	8:30 p.m.	NBC
10	BYE
11	Nov. 19	vs. Patriots	4:25 p.m.	CBS
12	Nov. 26	vs. Broncos	4:25 p.m.	CBS
13	Dec. 3	vs. Giants	4:25 p.m.	FOX
14	Dec. 10	at Chiefs	1 p.m.	CBS
15	Dec. 17	vs. Cowboys	8:30 p.m.	NBC
16	Dec. 25	at Eagles	8:30 p.m.	ESPN
17	Dec. 31	at Chargers	4:25 p.m.	CBS

Analysis

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The Raiders don't have an easy schedule, with six games against teams that made the postseason last year and a number of other contests against playoff contenders. Two matchups against the Broncos and Chiefs apiece will be major tests, while the team will face the defending Super Bowl champion New England Patriots, albeit at home.

Facing the AFC East means a tricky road game against the Miami Dolphins, while facing the NFC East means taking on two playoff teams from a year ago (Dallas Cowboys and New York Giants), a Washington team that just missed the postseason and a Philadelphia Eagles group that should be improved in 2017.

Add in contests against playoff contenders like the Tennessee Titans and Baltimore Ravens and the always tough matchups against the division-rival Los Angeles Chargers, and the Raiders really don't have any gimmes on the schedule. 

Pivotal Matchups

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Without question, the four most important games on the schedule will come against the Chiefs and Broncos, as the three teams should once again battle for the AFC West title.

The Raiders split with the Broncos in 2016, while their 0-2 record against the Chiefs ultimately cost them a division title. Oakland's second loss against the Broncos was particularly painful, as it came in the last game of the season and cost them both a bye week in the playoffs and the AFC West crown.

That was without Carr in the lineup, of course. But it was a tough way to close the regular season nonetheless.

Both the Chiefs and Broncos should be a threat again, as both teams feature excellent defenses and playmakers on offense. Neither the Broncos nor Chiefs improved dramatically in the offseason, though the Raiders didn't make any enormous moves, either.

Certainly, the three-team race in the AFC West (sorry, Chargers fans) will largely come down to how each team plays against one another. The Raiders will be hard-pressed to wear the crown if they go 1-3 against the Chiefs and Broncos once again.