Filed to print . . .



ALAMEDA — The bandwagon was picking up speed Monday, with the Raiders having beaten the New York Jets and perhaps awakened the East Coast to their resurgence.



At 4-3 and presently in a wild card position, the Raiders head to Pittsburgh with a chance to go from novelty to big-time story to close out the first half of the season.

All of which seemed to mildly amuse Raiders coach Jack Del Rio, who was having a hard time coming to grips with his team’s potential problem with overconfidence at his weekly press conference.

“We’re a 4-3 team. We’ve battled each and every week,” Del Rio said. “We’re going to continue to battle each and every week. These kinds of questions are kind of silly to me. There are talented people all across the league playing and coaching. We’ve got a really talented team that we’re going into their place, with plenty of challenges in front of us.

“Those kinds of thoughts are the furthest thing from my mind.”

A 34-20 win over the Jets, coming after a 37-29 victory over the San Diego Chargers, has enhanced the confidence level of the entire team, but young players in particular.

“We’re all human beings. As you’re asked to sacrifice and commit to certain processes, the demands that are placed, the things that we’re seeking to do as a team, you get to buy in,” Del Rio said. “Certainly getting the reward for putting forth that kind of effort and seeing some fruit it absolutely helps the belief part come along.”

The schedule lines up well for the Raiders.

They visit the Steelers (4-4) without running back LeVeon Bell, out for the season with a torn MCL.’

Then the Raiders come back home to visit Minnesota (5-2) before taking to the road with games at Detroit and Tennessee, teams that at present have combined for a 2-13 record.

Del Rio’s stated goal of a division title may be unlikely with Denver at 7-0, but given the Raiders’ play of late and what’s up next, it’s reasonable to assume they can remain in postseason contention.

The Raiders have beaten the Jets, and Pittsburgh, 4-4, could also be in the mix for a playoff spot so a win Sunday would be crucial.

“We’ve got plenty of challenges in front of us and plenty to worry about in terms of being a better team going forward with so much work to be done,” Del Rio said.

— The Raiders had no players that did not finish the Jets game because of injuries., Other than a season-ending torn pectoral by defensive end Justin Tuck and a knee injury that has sidelined linebacker Neiron Ball for a month or longer, the Raiders have been healthier than their opposition of late.

During the offseason, Del Rio revamped the strength and conditioning staff with Joe Gomes and Darryl Eto and owner Mark Davis committed to a multi-million dollar performance center which was completed in August.

Coincidence?

“You’d like to think you’re giving yourself a chance to be as healthy and fit as possible,” Del Rio said. “Certainly we work hard at it. A little good fortune helps, no question. We’ve been very diligent in how we’ve approached our work week . . I like to believe it helps.”

— Rookie defensive lineman Mario Edwards Jr.. played 53 of 63 snaps and continues to impress with his explosion and aggressive play. His role increased after Tuck’s injury, and with the Jets operating with four receivers much of the day, it meant the Raiders were often in dime packages of which he plays a role.

“He’s been thrust into a role that he really had earned through his performance,” Del Rio said. “But the timing of it made it such that he was going to get the lion’s share of the work there and he was really flourished.”