Who are the Las Vegas Raiders’ 2021 NFL opponents as they look to improve on an ultimately disappointing season in 2020? Let’s look at who the Raiders will play in 2021, and what that means in terms of their strength of schedule ranking compared to their rivals.
Who do the Raiders play in 2021?
The Raiders’ list of 2021 opponents will see them play the typical six games against the AFC West: Denver Broncos, Kansas City Chiefs, and Los Angeles Chargers. As is customary, the Raiders will face each of those three teams both at home and on the road during the 2021 season.
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The 2021 season will also see the AFC West compete against the AFC North and NFC East for another eight games. The traditional schedule’s final two games will see the Raiders face the two teams that finished in second place of the AFC East (Miami Dolphins) and AFC South (Indianapolis Colts).
What about the Raiders’ 17th game in 2021?
The 2021 season is expected to introduce a 17th regular season game for all NFL teams. Tom Pelissero and Ian Rapoport reported on NFL.com that plans are in place to expand the regular season, although their report has yet to be officially confirmed by the NFL. Therefore, who would be the opponent for the Raiders’ 17th game in the 2021 season?
Reports suggest that a decision has been made on how the 17th game opponent will be decided. The matchup will be an interconference tilt based on standings on a rotational basis.
Albert Breer reported that the divisional alignments for the 2021 season had already been set. According to Breer, the AFC West will match up with the NFC North for the 17th game. Therefore, the Raiders’ opponent for their 17th game in 2021 would be the Chicago Bears.
The Las Vegas Raiders’ 2021 opponents
Here are the teams that the Las Vegas Raiders will play against in the 2021 NFL season:
Home: Denver Broncos, Kansas City Chiefs, Los Angeles Chargers, Baltimore Ravens, Cincinnati Bengals, Philadelphia Eagles, Washington Football Team, Miami Dolphins
Road: Denver Broncos, Kansas City Chiefs, Los Angeles Chargers, Cleveland Browns, Pittsburgh Steelers, Dallas Cowboys, New York Giants, Indianapolis Colts
17th game (location TBD): Chicago Bears
Las Vegas Raiders’ strength of schedule for 2021
As we look ahead towards the 2021 NFL season, how does the Raiders’ strength of schedule for 2021 shape up? The strength of schedule rankings are compiled from the 2020 records of the Raiders’ 2021 opponents.
The Raiders have one of the toughest schedules in 2021
The Raiders’ 2021 strength of schedule ranks as the ninth-toughest in the league. They have the toughest schedule in the AFC West and the fifth-toughest in the AFC overall. The only AFC teams with a tougher schedule than the Raiders reside in the AFC North.
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The Raiders’ schedule sees them play eight games against opponents who made the playoffs in 2021. Two of those games come against the AFC champion Chiefs, as well as games against the Steelers, Ravens, Browns, and Colts. However, two of those playoff teams in the Chicago Bears and Washington Football Team combined for just 15 wins.
With the NFC East on their 2021 schedule, the Raiders face four opponents who won an average of just 5.8 games in 2020. However, their games against Miami and Indianapolis see them face two teams who combined for 21 wins.
How does their schedule at home compare to their schedule on the road?
The Raiders’ 2021 opponents coming to Allegiant Stadium ranks as the 14th-easiest home schedule. Only three of the Raiders’ eight opponents at home in 2021 won double-digit games last season.
Meanwhile, their road schedule ranks as the fifth toughest. They will face four teams that won double-digit games in 2020, with the other four opponents combining for an average of six wins each.
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