For the first time in almost 20 years, it’s not just possible, it’s likely that the Oakland Raiders can make the playoffs. The season is halfway over and the Silver and Black are sitting pretty atop the AFC West at 7-2. The remaining schedule is tough, but not impossible. Here are the many ways the Oakland Raiders can make the playoffs.
How the Oakland Raiders Can Make the Playoffs
Wild Card
Barring a catastrophic collapse, the AFC West will send three playoff teams this year. The AFC West is a combined 23-12 so far, which is easily the best record of any division in the AFC. The San Diego Chargers are the worst team in the division, and at 4-5 would be in playoff contention in the AFC North and AFC South. Outside of the AFC West, only the Houston Texans and New England Patriots have winning records, and Houston is only 5-3.
Judging by that, it seems like ten wins will be enough to earn a playoff spot in the AFC this year. With the Raiders already at 7-2, three wins is absolutely manageable, if not guaranteed. While Raider Nation will be happy to see the Raiders with their first winning record and playoff berth since 2002, there’s something they want a little bit more.
Division Champion
As stated before, the Oakland Raiders are currently number one in the AFC West. Unfortunately, there’s a good chance that won’t last long. Not because the Raiders aren’t excellent or because they’re going to lose, but because they’re taking their bye week.
Kansas City
The Kansas City Chiefs have the head-to-head tiebreaker over the Raiders, and if they defeat the Carolina Panthers next Sunday, they’ll technically be in first place. This is a little troubling, but the truth is, it doesn’t matter. For one thing, life is about to get hard for Kansas City. In three of the next four weeks, they have to play the Panthers, the Atlanta Falcons, and the Denver Broncos before their rematch with Oakland. It’s entirely possible that they could drop one, if not all of those games, especially with their roster struggling with injuries.
On the other hand, it doesn’t matter if the Chiefs beat the Broncos, Falcons, and Panthers. If the Oakland Raiders are the best team in the AFC West, they’ll prove it by beating Kansas City. The first game was an ugly bout, with Oakland struggling to get the offense going at all in the second half. With a renewed commitment to the ground game, and a defense that is only getting better, the Silver and Black will have a much better shot at Kansas City the second time around.
First Round Bye?
The truth is, whoever wins the AFC West gets the second seed in the AFC. The Patriots have essentially locked up the number one spot, and might not lose again this year, but the second spot is wide open. The Baltimore Ravens lead the AFC North at 4-4, and the AFC South is a dumpster fire. It will likely take 12 wins to take the AFC West, but whoever gets there will have earned a first round bye.
Again, the Raiders already have seven wins. That means they need to win five more games to secure the division. Five out of seven may seem like a lot, but not when you consider that Oakland won seven of their first nine. So who does Oakland have to beat?
The Second Half
To say that the Oakland Raiders have a tough road ahead of them is an understatement. Before all is said and done, the Raiders will have to face four playoff teams from last year, including both Super Bowl participants. Three of their last seven games will be on the road, and that’s not including their neutral-site game with the Houston Texans in Mexico. So let’s break down their remaining opponents.
Houston Texans
Hopefully, Raider Nation likes being in primetime, because Oakland travels to Mexico to take on the Houston Texans on Monday Night Football in two weeks. This is obviously a winnable game. Without J.J. Watt, the Texans are a mediocre team, and Brock Osweiler has proven to be a $72 million dollar mistake. Coming off of a bye against a mediocre team bodes well for the Raiders. This should be a win.
Carolina Panthers
This will be a tough game for the Raiders. They will be at home, but the Carolina Panthers are no joke. Even though Cam Newton has been struggling, he’s still very dangerous, and Luke Kuechly is the best defensive player in football. By this point, Aldon Smith and Mario Edwards Jr. should be back, and that’s huge for Oakland. If they can pressure Cam Newton and avoid turning the ball over, this should be a win.
Buffalo Bills
This is the easiest game remaining on the schedule. The Buffalo Bills can be a dangerous team, when healthy. Fortunately for the Raiders, they’re not. LeSean McCoy is struggling with nagging injuries, and wide receiver Sammy Watkins is done for the year. In Oakland, the Raiders should dismantle Tyrod Taylor and the Bills.
Kansas City Chiefs
Assuming the Raiders beat the Panthers, they’ll be 10-2 at this point, and will have locked up a playoff spot. However, this is the biggest game of the season. On Thursday Night Football, at Arrowhead, the Raiders get another shot at Kansas City. You don’t want to say that this is a must-win game, but it really is. Currently, Kansas City has won four games in a row, and they’ve been able to do so without some of their best players.
This game could go either way, but if Oakland wins, they’re almost guaranteed the division title. A loss wouldn’t bury their chances, but it would certainly hurt. A win here puts Oakland in the driver’s seat with three games to go.
San Diego Chargers
This is a tricky game. The Chargers are dangerous. They might be the worst team in the AFC West, but as established, they’d be contenders in almost any other division. Philip Rivers is a beast, Melvin Gordon is coming into his own, and Joey Bosa might be the Defensive Rookie of the Year. Hopefully the Raiders win, but don’t be surprised if the Chargers play spoiler.
Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are currently tied for second place in the AFC South. By the time Week 16 rolls around, they might be thinking playoffs. They might only be 4-5, but keep in mind that Andrew Luck and the Colts just went to Lambeau Field and beat the Green Bay Packers. The Colts will give the Raiders a ton of trouble, and if Oakland’s defense doesn’t show up, this could turn into a shootout.
Denver Broncos
As the whole world saw on Sunday night, the Oakland Raiders aren’t afraid of the Denver Broncos. The vaunted Denver defense had no answers for Kelechi Osemele and Donald Penn, and Khalil Mack ate Trevor Siemian alive. The Raiders have won their last two against the Broncos, and unless John Elway or Peyton Manning come out of retirement and suit up, the streak should continue.
How the Oakland Raiders Can Make the Playoffs
Perhaps this article was improperly titled. Perhaps this article should’ve been “How the Oakland Raiders will make the playoffs. They’re young, they’re talented, and as long as Jack Del Rio keeps them focused, they have a real shot at winning the AFC West. For the first time since 2002, the Oakland Raiders certainly look like a playoff team.
