Week 10 AFC Playoff Picture: Oakland Maintains Hope
Ten weeks through the 2017 season, and the Oakland Raiders sit at 4-5. This isn’t the situation many had anticipated the team would be in to start the season. Unfortunately, that’s the situation the Raiders face. This week starts the uphill climb and Oakland’s first attempt to a non-losing record, somewhere they haven’t been since Week 4.
The Raiders travel to their de facto second home, Mexico City, and play the defending Super Bowl champions, the New England Patriots. This game means a great deal to Jack Del Rio and the team. With the entire AFC West and playing this weekend, along with the three teams ahead of Oakland in the wild card standings, a win vaults the Raiders into the conversation. However, a loss in Mexico could spell doom for this bunch.
In the third installment of the playoff picture series, we dig deeper and start to analyze the teams in front of the Raiders. We also look ahead at future games involving these teams that should be monitored and noted.
Division Leaders
AFC East: 7-2 New England Patriots
AFC West: 6-3 Kansas City Chiefs
AFC North: 7-2 Pittsburgh Steelers
AFC South: 6-3 Tennessee Titans
Wild Card Standings
6-3 Jacksonville Jaguars
5-4 Buffalo Bills
4-5 Baltimore Ravens
4-5 Oakland Raiders
4-5 Miami Dolphins
4-6 New York Jets
Although the Raiders still have the Patriots, Eagles and Chiefs remaining on their schedule, they only have the sixteenth toughest remaining schedule in the NFL. On this list, Buffalo (10th), Miami (6th) and New York (4th) have tougher pathways to the playoffs. Unfortunately, both Baltimore and Jacksonville/Tennessee, the teams the Raiders are chasing, battle easier opponents the rest of the way.
Buffalo travels west this weekend to face the Los Angeles Chargers. Also, Tennessee lines up against AFC North leader, the Pittsburgh Steelers tonight. More than anything, Del Rio and company help themselves more by beating the Patriots this weekend.
Jacksonville’s defense, lead by Jalen Ramsey and Calais Campbell, and the Ravens control their own destiny with the fourth easiest remaining schedule. Buffalo, mired in disarray after benching their starting quarterback Tyrod Taylor looks to Nathan Peterman to guide their stretch run. The once dominant Chiefs dropped three out of their last four games.
At the end of the day, Oakland will need to take care of business and continue to win to stay afloat on the AFC playoff picture. We’ve seen two Raider teams this season. One was the complete team that beat the Titans on the road Week One, behind strong efforts of the offensive line and rushing attack and also the key passing and third down conversion plays of Derek Carr. That team can complete with the best in the league. In contrast, the one that showed up in Buffalo and Washington will have Raider fans around the country scratching their heads. Let’s hope the first team shows up for the remainder of the year.
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