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With preseason football finally out of the way, it's time to finally start the real thing.

Raider fans everywhere are ready to put last season's 8–9 record behind them and get back into the playoffs this season. That will be difficult but certainly possible for his year's club.

First 4 Games

Here are the Raiders first four games.

• Chargers (Sept 8)
• Baltimore (Sept 15)
• Carolina (Sept 22)
• Cleveland (Sept 29)

And here is how those teams finished last season.

• Chargers (5–12)
• Baltimore (13–4) (Lost in AFC Championship)
• Carolina (2–15)
• Cleveland (11–6) (lost in Wild Card)

Analyzing The Schedule

It's not an easy schedule, but it's also not overly difficult.

All four teams seem to be similar to what they were last year.

The Chargers are solid but have a lot of holes.

The Panthers are still in the middle of the rebuild.

Cleveland is a playoff contender but must improve to make a deep run.

Baltimore looks like a legit Super Bowl contender.

What Would a Successful First Month Look Like?

Going any worse than 2–2 in the first month would be a blow to the Raiders playoff hopes. They must beat teams like the Panthers and Chargers to be serious contenders.

For me, the Cleveland game is the most interesting. It's only one out of 17, but it would still be a good sign if they can beat a playoff team from last season.

Beating Baltimore would be an even better sign, but the Raiders can still have a successful month without it.