Vegas Gamble: Raiders Banking On Favorable 2022 Schedule

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Like most NFL teams the Las Vegas Raiders look forward to a fair schedule. The question remains if they will receive their wish.

 When the NFL expanded the season to seventeen games last year, one major dilemma was present: an odd number of games meant an uneven split between home and away games. To answer this, the NFL determined the AFC would get an additional home game in odd-ending years, while the NFC would host the ninth game in even-ending years. The Raiders must block out the uneven nature and stack wins.

Uneven Stateside

While the  Raiders will only host eight regular-season games at Allegiant Stadium, they will fortunately not have to deal with potentially losing one more to an international game.  Although the official NFL schedule release is less than one week away, the Raiders should have known they would be at a slight scheduling disadvantage since the league added a game.

Away Sweet Away

But, how much of a disadvantage is it? Over the last two seasons, the Raiders have had a better record on the road, tallying an 11-5 away record, while logging a disappointing 7-10 record in their new stadium in Nevada. All things considered, the unbalanced home and away splits should be more of an advantage for the Raiders than most teams. But, the final release of the schedule will show the true story.

Necessary Evil

Traveling is essentially a part of the game, but staying out on the road is not something that is asked of every team. In the past, the Raiders have not had the best fortune with scheduling, and have finished in the top-five of the league for most miles traveled for two of the last three seasons. On the plus side, the Raiders will not crack the top five for the second year in a row and will complete the 2022 NFL season with the ninth-most miles traveled.

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Visitor Takeover

Fortunately, RaiderNation travels well and is always able to voice support for the team’s away games. However, the biggest issue with away games has not necessarily been the fans, but the weather. Derek Carr has struggled in the cold, but taking a glance at the teams the Raiders will face on the road, Las Vegas has received a decent draw (as far as weather goes). Other than the inevitable games in Kansas City and Denver late in the season, the Pittsburgh Steelers are the team the Raiders should be most worried about drawing late in the year.

A Chill Sets In

Seattle and Tennessee are also on the schedule, two cities that can get chilly at times, so it would be safe to assume the Raiders will have at least one colder game outside of their division in 2022. While the Raiders have a relatively balanced schedule in 2022, it is a relief knowing that the total miles traveled should not be a major influence on the team’s success. Final deliberations could change when the schedule is released, as a hypothetical road trip featuring the Kansas City Chiefs, Los Angeles Rams, and Indianapolis Colts could be tough to come out of with spirits still high.