The past two games for the Oakland Raiders have been, quite frankly, not good. A rout by the hands of Aaron Rodgers and his perfect passer rating knocked them to 3-3, and Deshaun Watson playing like the Michael Jordan of football knocked them down another peg to 3-4. If this were the NFC, the Raiders might as well pack their bags and wait on the Vegas strip until next August. Luckily for them, the AFC has eaten itself alive just enough to give the Raiders a chance for the wild card. Through Week 8, 10 of 16 AFC teams have four or more losses, and seven are at least two games below .500. As the season hits the midway point, the Raiders’ schedule gets considerably easier, including several cameos from bad teams.
Oakland Raiders Playoff Hopes: Plenty of Reason for Optimism
So You’re Telling Me There’s a Chance
The Raiders have finally met the end of their absolutely brutal 48-day road trip, going 2-3 over the five-game stretch. Considering that all five opponents are expected to make the playoffs, or at least come close, the Raiders did fine. Now on their way back to Oakland, things get a lot easier. Their next four matchups are vs. the Detroit Lions, vs. the Los Angeles Chargers, vs. the Cincinnati Bengals, and at the New York Jets; these four teams have a putrid combined record of just 7-22-1. The one constant bright spot on the Raiders season has been the run game, but especially the production from running back Josh Jacobs. Oakland ranks seventh in rush offense and conveniently for them, the Lions, Chargers, and Bengals all rank 23rd or worse in rush defense. While the Jets do rank 10th in rush defense, that game shouldn’t scare the Raiders. Well, unless Sam Darnold learns how to throw a football to someone other than the opposing team’s cornerback. The following week against the Chiefs is, admittedly, going to be a loss. Unless of course Patrick Mahomes oversleeps his alarm clock and misses the game. But alas, probably a loss.
The Home Stretch
After the Raiders escape Kansas City, they’ll have just four games left on the schedule. First, they host the Tennessee Titans and Jacksonville Jaguars, then travel to play the Los Angeles Chargers and Denver Broncos. While these games aren’t necessarily gimmes, it’s much easier to play Marcus Mariota and Joe Flacco than Rodgers and Watson. On top of that, each of these teams is currently at or below .500, and each will most likely end the season at or below .500. If the Raiders can gain some traction and rattle off a few wins in a row, that second wildcard spot is attainable. With most teams in the AFC being either looking excellent or awful, the Raiders only real competition for that second wild-card spot is the Buffalo Bills (assuming the Colts or Texans hold the first wildcard spot). If the Raiders can gain some traction and rattle off some Ws, who’s to say they can’t burst into the playoffs at 9-7 or even 10-6? Tanking is so last year. Just win, baby!
