While watching the Oakland Raiders on HBO's Hard Knocks, no one believed the roster we were seeing on our televisions was going to be a successful team. Contrary to belief, the Raiders are 3-2 on the season as they head into their bye week in Week 6.
On Sunday, Oakland traveled overseas to square off against the Chicago Bears in London at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Everyone expected to see Chicago's dominant defense lay waste to the Raiders but that never came into fruition.
Instead, Derek Carr and the Raiders offense took it to the Bears and posted 398 yards of offense and 24 points to win the game. At the same time, the offensive line held Chicago to zero sacks with Khalil Mack facing his former team.
With that in mind, what did we learn about the Raiders in their win over the Bears in Week 5?
What we learned is that Jon Gruden may be building a special culture within the Raiders organization before they head to Las Vegas in 2020. After taking down the Bears on Sunday, Gruden came into the locker room with a wide smile on his face.
As Gruden spoke to the team, you could tell that the players on that roster love to play for him. That wasn't the sentiment that was being shared during the offseason during the Antonio Brown saga.
Despite all of the drama during training camp and the preseason, the Raiders have defied the odds and have found ways to win games. It's even more impressive considering the teams that they've played up to this point in the season.
Yes, Oakland has lost handily to the Minnesota Vikings and Kansas City Chiefs by a combined 38 points. But their wins this season have come against the Denver Broncos, Chicago Bears, and an Indianapolis Colts team that just defeated the Chiefs on Sunday night.
Offensively, the Raiders have been able to overcome injuries and have made plays when needed. Carr has been efficient, completing 73 percent of his passes for 1,117 yards and six touchdowns.
Along with Carr, Josh Jacobs, Darren Waller, and Tyrell Williams have been very productive in the new-look offense. As for the defense, they seem to be forming into an improve group as the season progresses.
In the first three weeks, the Raiders surrendered 78 points and forced just one turnover. Then, in the past two weeks, Gruden's defense has allowed 45 points and has taken the ball away three times—including a pick-six in Week 4.
As the Raiders enter their bye week, they are currently one game behind the Chiefs for first place in the AFC West. So far this season, Oakland has shown that they can be a candidate for the most surprising team in the NFL this season.
Following their bye week, the Raiders still have four games against teams with a winning record and four games against a divisional opponent. Therefore, we will find out if the Raiders are a legitimate playoff contender; or if they're not as talented as they were against the Bears.
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