After a much-needed win in Week 10, the Oakland Raiders are right in the thick of things in the AFC playoff chase. Sitting at 5-4, there are only a few teams in the conference with a better record than the Raiders.

With the Chiefs losing in Week 10, Oakland is somehow only one-game back of the division lead with a game left with Kansas City.

While a wild card berth is still the most likely outcome for the Raiders, it’s certainly not impossible that they catch the Chiefs given how soft their schedule is over the next few weeks.

Let’s take a quick look at the current playoff standings in both the AFC:

SEED	TEAM	DIVISION	RECORD
1	New England	East	8-1-0
2	Baltimore	North	7-2-0
3	Houston	South	6-3-0
4	Kansas City	West	6-4-0
5	Buffalo	East	6-3-0
6	Pittsburgh	North	5-4-0
SEED	TEAM	DIVISION	RECORD
7	Oakland	West	5-4-0
8	Indianapolis	South	5-4-0
9	Tennessee	South	5-5-0
10	Jacksonville	South	4-5-0
11	Los Angeles	West	4-6-0
12	Denver	West	3-6-0
13	Cleveland	North	3-6-0
14	Miami	East	2-7-0
15	N.Y. Jets	East	2-7-0
16	Cincinnati	North	0-9-0

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Technically last week was the actual midseason mark for the Raiders, but it was a short week, so there just wasn’t time to put together any awards, so we’re doing it after nine games instead. Starting with the rookies of the midseason.

Offensive Rookie of the Midseason: RB Josh Jacobs

This one was a no-brainer. He is not just the best rookie on the Raiders, but the best in the NFL. He is currently fifth in the NFL, averaging 90.1 yards per game for a total of 811 yards rushing. He is also sixth in the league with 7 rushing touchdowns. Those are rankings among all running backs, not just rookies.

Jacobs consistently gets something out of nothing, rarely getting stopped for no gain or a loss. He is a patient runner who shows excellent burst through the hole, and strength at the point of attack to drive through defenders. He’s rushed for over 120 yards in three of his last five games.

Defensive Rookie of the Midseason: DE Maxx Crosby

‘Mad’ Maxx has been a terror off the edge for the Raiders. He is currently tied with Benson Mayowa for the team lead with 7 QB hits. He has 2.5 sacks along with 5 tackles for loss, 3 pass breakups, and two forced fumbles.

Last week against the Chargers, he had just a half-sack but made Philip Rivers’s life miserable all game long. Crosby was showing his hair-on-fire play from the jump but only seems to be getting better. Quite the get in the fourth round.

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There was a stretch this season in which the Raiders weren’t favored for any games. Basically, it started in week two against the Chiefs and went through their 5-game road stint to Minnesota, Indianapolis, London (Bears), Green Bay, and Houston. They would win two of those five and currently sit at 5-4 on the season.

Coming off two-straight wins against the Lions and Chargers, the Raiders are now 3-1 at home and are getting some respect from oddsmakers. They welcome the winless (0-9) Bengals to town on Sunday, and the line is the largest of the week at between -10 and -10.5, depending on the site.

The five teams the Raiders have beaten this season have a combined record of 19-26-1, and none of the teams to whom they lost currently has a losing record. Far from it, actually. They have a combined record of 27-12 record.

So, they’ve handled their business against ‘beatable’ teams. Teams don’t get more beatable than the 0-8 Bengals whose defense ranks dead last in the NFL and in the bottom five on offense. They’ve scored over 20 points just once this season and have surrendered at least 21 points in every game.

Meanwhile, the Raiders have scored at least 24 points each of the past six games, but have allowed at least 21 points in all but the opener against the Broncos.

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‘Jelly’ has found a home. Former Raiders starting defensive tackle Justin Ellis has signed with the Baltimore Ravens, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.

Source: The #Ravens have signed veteran DT Justin Ellis, who had been a starter for the #Raiders for years. A midseason addition given injuries at that spot.

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) November 12, 2019

When the Raiders made their final roster cuts on August 31, Ellis was placed on injured reserve. He was dealing with a knee injury at the time. He remained on the Raiders’ injured reserve until October 8, when he was released with an injury settlement.

The former fourth-round pick signed a new long term contract with the Raiders in the 2018 offseason. It was one of Jon Gruden’s first moves as head coach. And he hasn’t been able to stay healthy since. Ellis would start the 2018 season on injured reserve, not returning until Week 12. He played in the final six games.

With several decent options to be part of the Raiders’ DT rotation, they moved on from the big nose tackle.

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The Oakland Raiders got a big win in Week 10, defeating the Los Angeles Chargers in the final night game at the Oakland Alameda County Coliseum. That win moved the Raiders to 5-4, and they are now just one game back in the division.

With that win, the Raiders are starting to get more national attention, as well. In Doug Farrar’s latest power rankings at Touchdown Wire, the Raiders have moved all the way up to No. 12, just ahead of the Dallas Cowboys.

Considering the expectations heading into the season, the Raiders and their fans have to be thrilled with how the season is going. Here is what Farrar had to say about the Raiders this season:

Against the Chargers last Thursday, it was time for Oakland’s rookie pass-rushers to show up. This they did, as Clelin Ferrell and Maxx Crosby combined for three sacks and 10 total pressures. Rookie running back Josh Jacobs also scored the game-deciding touchdown in a 26-24 win that put the Raiders over .500 — that was the Raiders’ league-leading 13th touchdown by a rookie in 2019. Oakland’s personnel staff, led by general manager Mike Mayock, has put together the NFL’s most impressive rookie class this season. There’s simply no way Jon Gruden’s team would be in playoff contention had Mayock and his people not done such an incredible job up and down their draft board.

With an incredibly easy schedule coming up over the next few weeks, the Raiders could significantly move up lists like this and inside the top 10. The Raiders have a real chance to make some noise this season and into the playoffs.

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Every week, Josh Jacobs is doing more and more to help the Raiders win. Whether it’s making plays in the passing game by blocking or catching, or dominating on the ground, Oakland is able to rely on their stud rookie to carry their offense.

While the production numbers speak for themselves, Jacobs is starting to earn some more national attention now that we are more than halfway through the 2019 season. According to Pro Football Focus, Jacobs is the team’s highest-graded player and is the No. 1 ranked running back in the entire NFL. Take a look at what the site has to say about the former Alabama star:

 A first-round pick in the 2019 NFL Draft, Jacobs has lived up to the hype to start the season. He leads all NFL backs with 200 or more offensive snaps played in overall grade (90.4) and rushing grade (90.5) so far this season. He still needs more targets in the passing game, but he’s been nothing but dominant on the ground. He leads all NFL backs with 100 or more carries in forced missed tackles per attempt (0.27) and ranks fifth in yards after contact per attempt (3.6).

Through nine weeks, it’s relatively clear that Jacobs is the front runner for the Offensive Rookie of the Year award as he is going to set numerous franchise records for the Silver and Black. If Jacobs can continue to play at this level, look for the Raiders to make a run to the playoffs behind their workhorse back.

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