Needless to say, Sunday’s loss was a bad one for the Las Vegas Raiders. Not only did they fail to improve in the standings, but they allowed another Wild Card suitor to solidify their playoff standings. Sitting at 7-6, the Raiders need to win out and even that doesn’t guarantee them a spot in the playoffs.
According to FiveThirtyEight, the loss by the Raiders in Week 14 dropped their playoff chances down to 21 percent. Earlier in the day, those odds actually went above 50 percent as the Dolphins fell to the Chiefs. Other AFC rivals such as the Ravens and Dolphins both have better odds to wrap up the final wild-card spot in the conference, making it unlikely the Raiders will reach the tournament.
It is worth mentioning that the Monday Night Football game between the Ravens and the Browns is a significant one for the Raiders. If Cleveland can hold serve and win at home, the Raiders’ chances of making the playoffs would actually increase to 28 percent. But with a Ravens’ win, those odds suddenly drop to just 15 percent.
If the Ravens were able to lose tonight, three-straight wins by the Raiders would clinch them a playoff spot. But without that loss, the Raiders would need a team like the Titans to go on a bit of a losing streak.
By no means are the Raiders out of playoff contention entering Week 15. But they have made this much harder on themselves than need be. They don’t control their own destiny any longer and that is always a scary thing in the NFL.
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