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          NFL Nation

          Yes, the Raiders are trending toward a Super Bowl appearance

          • Paul Gutierrez, ESPN Staff WriterJan 26, 2017, 07:00 AM ET
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              Paul Gutierrez joined NFL Nation in 2013 and serves as its Las Vegas Raiders reporter. He has a multi-platform role - writing on ESPN.com, television appearances on NFL Live and SportsCenter, and podcast and radio appearances. Before coming to ESPN, Gutierrez spent three years at CSN Bay Area as a multi-platform reporter, covering the Raiders and Oakland Athletics as well as anchoring the SportsNet Central cable news show. Gutierrez votes for the Baseball Hall of Fame and is also a member of the Professional Football Writers of America and currently serves as the PFWA's Las Vegas chapter president. He is also a member of the California Chicano News Media Association and the National Association of Hispanic Journalists. Gutierrez has authored three books: Tommy Davis' Tales from the Dodgers Dugout, 100 Things Raiders Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die and If These Walls Could Talk: Stories from the Raiders Sideline, Locker Room and Press Box with Lincoln Kennedy. You can follow Paul on Twitter @PGutierrezESPN
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          Here’s a look at the Super Bowl prospects of the Oakland Raiders, who finished the regular season 12-4 before losing in the wild-card round:

          Super Bowl barometer: The Oakland Raiders should contend, but there are question marks.

          Assessing the foundation: It was a two-phase, four-year plan that began with owner Mark Davis hiring Reggie McKenzie as general manager in January 2012, three months after the passing of Al Davis. Call it the Deconstruction of the Raiders followed by the Reconstruction of the Raiders. Also call it a success … thus far. With Year 5 just completed, Oakland went 12-4 -- two years after starting the 2014 season 0-10 -- and made its first playoff appearance since 2002. They also had an NFL-high seven Pro Bowl selections.

          The hiring of coach Jack Del Rio in 2015 jump-started the culture change put in place by the younger Davis and McKenzie. Now the Raiders are poised to take the next step, with a young, homegrown nucleus in place in two-time Pro Bowl quarterback Derek Carr and two-time All-Pro edge rusher Khalil Mack; Oakland has complemented that core with smart moves in free agency like building a fearsome offensive line. Continuing to hit on draft picks after some early McKenzie missteps can cement this foundation and make the Raiders a destination for more high-profile free agents. “We think we built this thing to last," said McKenzie, adding he has the best scouting department in the NFL. Time will obviously tell, but these Raiders, whether they call Oakland or Las Vegas home, are ready to capture for the franchise’s fourth Lombardi Trophy and first since the 1983 season.

          Judging the quarterback: It says here that had Carr not suffered a broken fibula in his right leg in Game 15, the Raiders would have won the following week at Denver, thus clinching the AFC West, a playoff bye and a home playoff game. It further says here the Raiders would have won a shootout in Oakland against the Pittsburgh Steelers before falling at the New England Patriots in the AFC Championship Game. So, you ask, how important Carr is to the Raiders? It’s obvious. He was an MVP candidate before going down and, really, his value to the team as its heart and soul was proved in his absence. Carr passed for 3,937 yards with 28 touchdowns and six interceptions while completing a career-best 63.8 percent in 15 games. “I’m going to sit back and I’m just going to reflect on it,” Carr said the day after the season ended. “I’m going to know that, ‘Hey, it’s not easy to win 12 games in this league.’ Who knows if we’ll do it again. ... There’s so much to get better at and work on that that thing in our stomach that makes us sick and makes us angry is going to propel us moving forward so we can compete and be better versions of ourselves.”

          Realistic ways the Raiders can improve their chances to contend for a Super Bowl:

          1. Get Carr right. The quarterback insists that had the Raiders somehow advanced to the Super Bowl without him, he would have played on Super Sunday. “Absolutely ... I would have been there,” the 25-year-old said. The goal is for him to be up and running for the start of the offseason program, which begins in April. His improvement between Years 2 and 3 was palpable, and a lot of that had to do with his being healthy for the entire offseason program last spring and summer. Another healthy offseason will benefit not only Carr but the team as a whole.

          2. Shore up the defense. After surrendering more than 1,000 combined yards in the season's first two weeks, the defense improved mightily down the stretch, but Oakland’s 25 sacks were still the fewest in the league, even with Mack (11 sacks) on one side and Bruce Irvin (seven sacks) on the other. Getting pass rush from the interior will help in that aspect, and Del Rio said that is a high priority this offseason.

          3. Todd Downing being up to the task. The Raiders purportedly chose the potential of Downing, 36, and the fear of losing him to another team over the proven commodity of Bill Musgrave, 49, who was not retained despite coordinating the NFL’s No. 6 offense. Downing, Oakland’s quarterbacks coach the past two seasons, has never been a coordinator at any level, but he obviously clicks with Carr. Downing will have to help Carr continue his ascent while tweaking things a bit.