Raiders Face Important Stretch After Bye Week

The Las Vegas Raiders will play some very tough opponents right after their bye week this season.

The Las Vegas Raiders are looking to put a disappointing 2022 season behind them as they turn their attention to the 2023 campaign.

While the Raiders have one of the league’s stricter schedules on paper, they won’t be discouraged by who they will face each week as they look to return to the playoffs.

The Raiders’ bye week comes in week 13, which could favor the team, as the long NFL season can be physically and mentally fatiguing. Having a week off before the season's home stretch can help the players and coaches recharge.

After their bye week, the Raiders will face a very important stretch of the season that might determine their postseason chances. They will see several quality teams who will also likely be vying for playoff spots.

Let’s look closer at the Raiders’ stretch of games after their bye week.

Right after the bye week, the Raiders will welcome in the Minnesota Vikings, last year’s NFC North winner. The Vikings won 13 games last season en route to another playoff appearance.

This game will be one to watch for, as it will be a battle of two of the best wide receivers in the NFL in Davante Adams of the Raiders and Justin Jefferson of the Vikings. Even beyond Jefferson, the Vikings have an elite offense, so the Raiders’ defense must be at its best to defend the home field.

The Raiders will then host the division rival Los Angeles Chargers, another playoff team from the last. The Chargers hired Kellen Moore as their offensive coordinator, a former quarterback who called some of the best offenses in the NFL with the Dallas Cowboys.

The Chargers hope to take advantage of another season with their young franchise quarterback, Justin Herbert, along with their elite offensive weapons. The Raiders have been fairly successful against the Chargers in recent years, especially at Allegiant Stadium. They will need to be successful again down this stretch of the season.

The Raiders then head to Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City to play defending Super Bowl champions, the Kansas City Chiefs. The Chiefs will always be one of the most formidable opponents the Raiders will face, as quarterback Patrick Mahomes has had success against the Raiders since he entered the league.

However, the Raiders have come close against the Chiefs before and will hope to finally get the job done on Christmas Day against their division rival.

The Raiders will stay on the road, visiting Lucas Oil Stadium on New Year’s Eve to take on a new-look Indianapolis Colts team. The Colts will feature a new head coach in Shane Steichen, and a new quarterback in Anthony Richardson.

While these two are intriguing, there’s no guarantee they will be successful immediately, and the Raiders will have a chance to take a game from a team that might not win many games in 2023.

The Raiders will close out their season at home against the Denver Broncos. The Broncos are also coming off of a disappointing season but hired Coach Sean Payton, one of the greatest offensive head coaches ever.

Payton will look to help quarterback Russell Wilson bounce back from a poor season, and with the group of young, talented wide receivers, they could be a force to be reckoned with on offense.

While this stretch will be challenging for the Raiders, they will have three games at home. They will have their work cut out as three of the last five teams they will see were playoff teams last season.

This stretch right after the bye week could determine if the Raiders make the playoffs in 2023. 

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