Are the Oakland Raiders Now Real Contenders with Carson Palmer at Helm?

Carson Palmer is the man in charge of the Oakland Raiders offense and has put them in a position to succeed. But the path there wasn't easy.

The Oakland Raiders (6-4) seemed to be in a pretty good position after Week 5 of the 2011 season with a 3-2 record.

But in a Week 6 win over the Cleveland Browns, the Raiders plans seemed to get derailed when starting quarterback Jason Campbell went down with a broken collarbone.

But almost immediately after, head coach Hue Jackson and the Raiders turned around and made one of the most shocking trades in recent NFL history: trading a first-round pick and a conditional second-round pick for former Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Carson Palmer.

Palmer hadn't played since the end of the 2010 season and came into Oakland very raw. He was thrown into the fire and the Raiders lost their first two games with Palmer. But now they sit atop the AFC West after winning their past two games.

Has Palmer made the Raiders the real deal? Are the Silver and Black actually back? Let's find out.

Jason Campbell

Jason Campbell, the former starting quarterback of the Oakland Raiders led them to a 3-2 record—their first time over .500 after five games since the 2002 season.

He had good chemistry with the team and the support of everyone in the organization. He played well and was only a few plays away from leading the Raiders to a 5-0 record to start the season.

Campbell was above average at about every aspect of the quarterback position thanks to the system he played in under Hue Jackson. But in no sense was he ever an elite player for Oakland.

Carson Palmer

When Carson Palmer is playing at the top of his game, he is an elite NFL quarterback.

The more time he has spent in Oakland, the better he has gotten because of his increase in playing time.

He stands tall in the pocket and holds a poise and presence not seen from a Raider quarterback since Rich Gannon in the early 2000s.

Palmer also possesses the ability take the Raiders down the field and convert crucial third downs or score when the game is on the line.

Simply put, Palmer is an elite player for the Raiders.

Schedule

The Raiders have a very manageable schedule down the stretch.  

The only serious heavyweight that Oakland has to face is the currently undefeated Green Bay Packers in Week 14.

Other than that, every team that the Raiders have to face (the Bears, Dolphins, Lions, Chiefs and Chargers) are all very beatable opponents. 

Pass Defense

Within that favorable schedule are also some of the NFL's worst pass defenses.

The next three Raider opponents are the Chicago Bears, Miami Dolphins and Green Bay Packers. Those teams are the 30th, 25th and 31st best pass defenses respectively.

That will give Carson Palmer even more time to become more comfortable with his receivers before having to face the fifth-best pass defense of the Detroit Lions on December 18th.

Receiving Corps

When they are completely healthy, the Oakland Raiders have one of the best young receiving corps in the NFL.

And now they have the quarterback to get the ball to them.

Darrius Heyward-Bey is a tall option who has been improving on his route running and hands to go along with his blazing speed.

Jacoby Ford is a very elusive wide receiver because of his small stature, but is fast and strong enough to get where he wants.

And then there is Carson Palmer's favorite target, Denarius Moore (pictured). Moore has quickly built a strong chemistry with Palmer and has all the skills to become the Raiders' top wide receiver for years to come.

Chaz Schilens, Louis Murphy and T.J. Houshmandzadeh are all fairly solid backups.

Leadership

Carson Palmer has successfully played at a very high level before.

In 2002, he won the Heisman Trophy and, while playing for the Cincinnati Bengals, racked up numerous awards and accolades.

Now with a very young offense behind him, he is being called upon to be a leader for all of them.

So far, he has stepped up and done just that. He looks very poised and comfortable out on the field. He provides a steady hand for a Raiders team very much in need of one.

AFC West

The Raiders currently have a one-game lead over the Denver Broncos in the AFC West. Behind Oakland, there are many questions about the rest of the division.

How much longer can quarterback Tim Tebow (pictured) keep winning in a college-style offense in Denver?

Can quarterback Philip Rivers stop being so mistake-prone and finally lead the Chargers to victory?

What will the Chiefs do without their two best players, running back Jamaal Charles and quarterback Matt Cassel?

Bottom line: the Raiders are in the driver's seat of the AFC West. And Carson Palmer can keep them there.

Balanced Attack

Carson Palmer has finally given the Raiders a balanced offensive attack, something they have been searching for.

His accuracy and ability to throw the deep ball must keep the defense honest and not just focus on the Raiders' solid running backs in Michael Bush (pictured) and, when healthy, Darren McFadden.

The Raiders' game plan is to establish the run early and use it to open up passing lanes as the game goes on. This has worked well as the Raiders as they can now take advantage of those open passing lanes more than ever before.

Final Verdict: Fact

With Carson Palmer now leading the Oakland Raiders' offense, the Raiders have all of the fire power that the late Al Davis dreamed of when assembling the team.

Palmer is everything the Raiders needed and wanted. He controls the game and knows how to win. His will to win and professionalism will help the rest of the team believe that they belong.

Over the past few weeks, head coach Hue Jackson has learned how to effectively use Palmer to make the offense as efficient as possible and that will pay off down the stretch.

If the defense can stop committing mindless penalties, the Raiders are 100 percent real contenders.

And that extends beyond just the AFC West title.