The Oakland Raiders are heading into a pivotal season. The Jon Gruden era didn't start well, as Oakland went just 4-12 in 2018. In their last season in Oakland, the Silver and Black hope for a much better outcome.

Raider fans finally got to see the official schedule for 2019, released on Wednesday:

Opponents were already known, but now we know when the Raiders' biggest games will be played.

In Week 2, the Raiders will host the Kansas City Chiefs. The Chiefs established themselves as the team to beat in the AFC West last season, likely for years to come. The Los Angeles Chargers also took a step forward, with Oakland lagging far behind. If Gruden's team wants to show that it can compete in the division, it will need to beat the Chiefs at some point, and this might be its best opportunity. The Silver and Black played a fairly good game when they hosted the Chiefs last season, so this one should be close.

In Week 7, the Raiders will make the trip to Lambeau Field to take on the Green Bay Packers. These teams play once every four years, and Oakland makes the trip to Green Bay once every eight years. As such, it's a special experience. If the Raiders can pick up a win here, it will be massive for the franchise. To do so, they will need to hope that their pass rush is much improved from last year and can get after Aaron Rodgers.

The Raiders will have another tough test when they visit the new-look New York Jets in Week 12. The game will pit Antonio Brown against former teammate Le'Veon Bell, so it should receive a ton of media attention. The Jets and Raiders also pick third and fourth respectively in this year's NFL Draft, so a pair of highly touted rookies should meet in this game. The Jets should be better than they have been recently, and this should be a fun one.

The Raiders will host the Broncos in Week 1 on Monday Night Football in a game they really need to win. If the Raiders fall behind the Broncos in the division pecking order, they're in major trouble. The Chiefs and Chargers are the clear top two teams, so the Raiders need to do everything they can to stay ahead of the Broncos. This game is of massive importance for both teams, and a classic rivalry game.