Sunday the Raiders losing streak reached four games. This time with a resounding defeat to a severely banged up Rams team. If the previous three losses didn't cause the Raiders to tumble in the rankings, this one surely would.
Raiders spot in NFL power rankings ahead of Week 8
Nate Davis, USA Today -- 14
Last week: 12
The Raiders are who we thought they were − that's why we took the damn field. Now if you want to crown them, then crown their … not for the past four weeks actually.
Chad Graff and Josh Kendall, The Athletic -- 24
Last week: 18
After a fourth straight loss on Sunday, Kirk Cousins was asked about how and when the team would turn things over to No. 1 pick Fernando Mendoza. It’s not happening yet, but even if Cousins wasn’t the biggest problem Sunday (he threw for 295 yards and two touchdowns, but the Raiders still can’t run the ball), the questions about Mendoza will
get louder if Las Vegas drops next weekend’s game in New York.
Nick Shook, NFL media -- 25
Last week: 18
It’s official: Las Vegas’ 3-0 start was a mirage. The Raiders have now lost four straight and can no longer rely on Kirk Cousins to simply throw them to victory (or close losses). The calls for Fernando Mendoza are only going to grow louder if this continues, even if the Raiders’ struggles aren’t really a product of Cousins’ performance. The defense certainly didn’t do them any favors on Sunday, but perhaps they can bounce back against a Jets team mired in similar struggles.
NFL Nation, ESPN -- 22
Last week: 18
While the masses are eager to see Fernando Mendoza take over the offense, Cousins has played surprisingly well to the point that the No. 1 pick has had to wait longer than expected to be the starter. Cousins, 38, ranks third in passing yards (1,877) and first in touchdown passes (16). Sure, the limitations at his age, such as arm strength and mobility, have been prevalent. But Las Vegas' four-game losing streak is not solely on him. Coach Klint Kubiak confirmed that Cousins will start in Week 8 against the Jets.
Pete Prisco, CBS Sports -- 22
Last week: 22
After three straight victories to begin the season, the Raiders have lost four straight. It wasn't because of Kirk Cousins, but it might be time for Fernando Mendoza.
Conor Orr, Sports Illustrated -- 22
Last week: 19
Assuming the Raiders can beat the woeful Jets this coming weekend, the subplot of Kirk Cousins remaining the starter versus being a legitimately valuable trade chip (he’s leading the league in touchdown passes!) will thicken. Fernando Mendoza will play at some point, but if the Raiders can get a mid-round pick for Cousins with all their needs, wouldn’t that be difficult to turn down?
Frankc Schwab, Yahoo! sports -- 22
Last week: 18
The Raiders have had a tough schedule the last four games, but Sunday's loss to the Rams was disheartening. They trailed 28-6 before a fourth-quarter rally. The offense was particularly ineffective, which brought about more questions over the quarterback situation. Sunday's loss wasn't all Kirk Cousins' fault, but impatience over rookie Fernando Mendoza's first start was inevitable upon the first signs of trouble.
Head coach Klint Kubiak is a rookie at his job, and he could have shut down any quarterback speculation Sunday when asked. Instead he said the team was "thinking about everything," which invited a quarterback controversy. That lasted less than 24 hours. Kubiak made it clear Monday that Cousins would start. But he has invited weekly speculation on the issue.
"Eventually Fernando is going to play football, we have a plan but we don't have a timeline for that," Kubiak told the media Monday. "Kirk is playing really well, and we're in the hunt.
"Fernando is going to play at some point. It's not going to be this week."
Ralph Vacchiano, FOX sports -- 20
Last week: 18
Remember when everyone was screaming that the Raiders belonged in the top 10? That was just four weeks and yet four losses ago. In fairness to them, those losses have come against the Chiefs, Patriots, Bills and Rams, and it’s pretty clear that all four of those teams are way out of the Raiders’ league. They do get a break against the Jets next Sunday. But after that, it’s the 49ers, Seahawks, Broncos and Browns. So yes, things definitely can still get worse. Which means it would be a bad time to switch to rookie QB Fernando Mendoza right now.
Average rank -- 21.4
Last week: 17.9
This article originally appeared on Raiders Wire: NFL Week 8 power rankings roundup: Raiders tumble after 4th straight loss
