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3 Reasons the Raiders Will Make the Playoffs in 2020

By Evan Wolff

Mark Davis and the Las Vegas Raiders have a golden opportunity to play in the postseason in their inaugural season in Nevada.
Mark Davis and the Las Vegas Raiders have a golden opportunity to play in the postseason in their inaugural season in Nevada. / Isaac Brekken/Getty Images

Year 3 of Jon Gruden in an all-new locale, after a surprisingly-potent 2019 season? There's a very good chance the Raiders are poised to bring Las Vegas postseason football this time around.

Here are three reasons why the Raiders will make the Playoffs in 2020.

3. Improved Linebacker Depth

Cory Littleton left the Los Angeles Rams to give the Raiders some much-needed veteran talent.
Cory Littleton left the Los Angeles Rams to give the Raiders some much-needed veteran talent. / John McCoy/Getty Images

After Vontaze Burfict was suspended for the season due to another dirty hit, the Raiders were left exposed at the linebacker position for the entire season. Tahir Whitehead was the only dependable starter, and the Raiders were the 24th-ranked passing defense in the NFL as a result. The Raiders front office has attempted to solve this with multiple quality linebackers signed in free agency, including Cory Littleton from the Los Angeles Rams. Littleton was one of top-ranked coverage linebackers according to Pro Football Focus, and is one of the best tacklers in the NFL. The defense is sure to improve and add a couple wins to last season's total.

2. Expanded Postseason

At a price tag of nearly $2 billion, Allegiant Stadium is one of the most expensive construction projects in history.
At a price tag of nearly $2 billion, Allegiant Stadium is one of the most expensive construction projects in history. / Ethan Miller/Getty Images

It really is this simple sometimes -- with the newly-expanded NFL playoff system in place for the 2020 season, more teams than ever will have a chance to take part in the postseason. Teams that sat on the outside of the cutoff line of the playoffs in 2019, like the Raiders did, now have an opportunity to capitalize on an extra chance to compete for the Lombardi Trophy. After having a chance to make the playoffs until Week 17 in the 2019 NFL season, Las Vegas has a renewed shot at paydirt in the first season in the desert, if just a few breaks swing their way.

1. Jon Gruden's Hidden Gems

Jon Gruden was handed a 10-year contract in January of 2018 to coach the Raiders.
Jon Gruden was handed a 10-year contract in January of 2018 to coach the Raiders. / Dustin Bradford/Getty Images

When Jon Gruden is at the helm of a team, anything is possible. The Raiders had no business even being in playoff contention last season, and yet Gruden had them playing with a purpose until the very last game of the season, his first-round choice in Josh Jacobs leading a pulse-pounding offense. Gruden also saved Darren Waller from the scrap heap and made him a star tight end, and finished off his tinkering by adding Hunter Renfrow late in the draft. Now with a team refreshed with new talent, and a chance to make his mark in a new city, Gruden will want to prove that he is more than catchy phrases and funny play calls. Gruden must also show that he was worth the enormous contract that the Raiders used to pry him from the TV booth, and he will be eager to show that the pace of the league has not passed him by. At his heart, Coach Gruden is a competitor and a winner, and he will want to be back in the playoffs this season, where he knows he belongs, with another draft ahead of him to make magic.