Raiders Week 17 playoff elimination scenarios

Raiders can’t clinch a playoff berth this Sunday with a win, but they can be eliminated if they lose

Losing five of six games put the Raiders in a tough spot. But not an impossible one. In fact, with their wins the past couple weeks, they put themselves in position to make the playoffs should they win out. But it’s looking like even a single loss could end things for them.

Next up the Raiders face the 9-6 Colts who are vying for a playoff spot as well.

A loss to the Colts isn’t an automatic ouster from the playoffs, but by the end of the day it could.

These are the elimination scenarios for the Raiders should they lose.

The Raiders are a 10am game. If they win, they can rest easy. If they lose they will be watching the rest of the game results closely to see if they will have anything to play for in the finale.

All scenarios involve either the Ravens or the Chargers winning. If they both win with the Raiders losing, Raiders are out. If they both lose, the Raiders will still remain in contention when they face the Chargers in Week 18.

The Ravens are one of the early games as well, so should they win, and the Raiders lose, the Raiders will be watching the Chargers’ afternoon game closely.

Likewise, the Bills, Dolphins, and Patriots all play in the early going. If the Bills and either the Patriots or the Dolphins win as well, again the Raiders will be watching the Chargers to know their fates.

If the Ravens, Bills, and Dolphins or Patriots win and the Chargers lose, the Raiders would wait until Monday night’s game between the Steelers and Browns to find out if they are still alive. In that scenario, if the Steelers won, the Raiders would be out. If the Browns win, the Raiders would still be clinging to hope.

Again, Raiders are in control of their own destiny here. If they win, none of these scenarios matter. If not, they would need a lot of help.