Here's How Raiders Can Still Make Playoffs Entering Week 17
By Chris Pyo
Somehow, just somehow, with everything the Oakland Raiders have gone through this season, they still have a path to the playoffs.
Their odds might be slimmer than ever, but if the Raiders can beat the Denver Broncos next week, they just need a few other results to go their way, and low and behold, Jon Gruden and Co. will be playing football in January.
If the Raiders win out, Steelers and Titans both lose next week and the Colts win next week, the Raiders are in the playoffs. That's ... actually not as farfetched as I was thinking. Toughest part for Raiders is Ravens and Texans may rest starters vs. Steelers and Titans.
— Michael David Smith (@MichaelDavSmith) December 22, 2019
No one in Oakland is missing Antonio Brown right about now. They could sure use his skills, but the Raiders are functioning like a tight-knit team that cannot afford to have any sort of distractions heading into the last week of the NFL regular season.
After beating the Los Angeles Chargers, 24-17, the Raiders sit at a less-than-ideal 7-8, which, believe it or not, is still good enough for second in the AFC West and a Wild Card spot.
Now, along with a win over the Drew Lock-led Broncos, here's a list of the teams that need to win and lose in order for the Raiders to make the playoffs.
This is wild: The #Raiders can still make the playoffs. They need some help in Week 17.
— NFL Update (@MySportsUpdate) December 23, 2019
Here’s what has to happen...
- Raiders beat Broncos
- Ravens beat Steelers
- Texans beat Titans
- Colts beat Jaguars
- Browns beat Bengals
In order for Oakland to extend its season, they need to beat Denver. That part's simple. After that, they'll have to hope the Ravens take down the Steelers, the Texans beat the Titans, and both the Colts and Browns beat the Jaguars and Bengals, respectively.
Some Raiders fans might want to go all-in and parlay those results into a bet.
In the end, a lot has to go right for the Raiders to make the playoffs, but anything can happen. Hey, Oakland fans deserve to see their hometown team play a couple more games before they head to Las Vegas and wreak havoc.