2017 NFL Power Rankings Week 10: Los Angeles Rams continue to impress following bye

21. Oakland Raiders (26)

Thanks to some help from the Dallas Cowboys defeating the Kansas City Chiefs, the Oakland Raiders entered Sunday’s game against the Miami Dolphins with a little extra motivation since they had an opportunity to inch closer to the top of the division. Even if the Raiders still have a long way to go when it comes to catching up with the Chiefs, the smart approach for this team is to take things one game at a time, which they did on Sunday night against the Miami Dolphins.

Going on the road and defeating a team like the Dolphins was quite the accomplishment for the Raiders when looking at some of the struggles surrounding this team so far this season. In a way, this was just what Oakland needed heading into their bye week so they could go out on a positive note before squaring off against the New England Patriots in two weeks from now.

Keep in mind the Raiders were already facing a ton of pressure since they were one of the early favorites in the AFC to make a run at the Super Bowl at the beginning of the season. As mentioned before, Oakland still has a long way to go, but maybe if Marshawn Lynch (two touchdowns against the Dolphins) can continue coming up big in the ground game, Jack Del Rio’s squad would have a better chance at getting back in that direction.