9. Will the Oakland Raiders pick up where they left off?
Raiders’ fans hope so, right? Super Bowl dreams were crushed when quarterback Derek Carr broke his leg in Week 16 last season. Fortunately, the Raiders had already clinched a Wild Card playoff spot. But they were underdogs starting a rookie quarterback in Houston and were eliminated in their first playoff appearance.
The cool thing is, the Raiders look to be the real deal moving forward. The team had not made the playoffs since 2002. Carr’s surgery on his leg was a success and he is already in the process of rehab.
Surgery couldn't have gone better! Received great news! Already started the recovery process!Thank you for all of your prayers as I heal up!
— Derek Carr (@derekcarrqb) December 27, 2016
All signs indicate the Raiders will continue trending up. A young quarterback, thriving offense, and a defense that (hopefully) improves by strides will take the Raiders places in 2017. Plus, the team can take advantage of the adversities their divisional Chargers and Broncos will be faced with again this fall.