Raiders have clear, achievable path to playoffs

Not that the Raiders are looking past the Broncos, their opponent at Allegiant Stadium on Sunday. But it’s impossible not to notice the Kansas City Chiefs lurking right behind Denver a week later.

Having already beaten the Chiefs this year, the next crack the 5-3 Raiders get at the 8-1 Super Bowl champions could create an interesting final leg in the race for AFC West supremacy.

By winning this week and next week, the Raiders would move to within one game of the Chiefs, who have a bye this week, and have full control of the head-to-head tiebreaker. Should the rivals finish tied atop the division standings, the Raiders would be the champs and get a home game in the opening round of the playoffs.

While it is tantalizing for Raiders fans to think about such possibilities, it is by no means the team’s only path to the playoffs. And to be perfectly frank, it is the most unrealistic one at that.

The more practical road to their first postseason berth since 2016 and only their second over the last 18 seasons remains the Wild Card, which has expanded from two to three slots this year in both the AFC and NFC and could grow to four if COVID-19 causes any sort of significant disruption to the NFL schedule between now and the end of the regular season.

The NFL this week approved a revised playoff format in which the field would expand from 14 to 16 teams should meaningful games be canceled due to COVID-19. Essentially the league created flexibility and fairness in case not all teams in contention play the same number of games. Under the emergency format, no teams would get a bye and all division winners would be granted a home game in the first round.

That said, the NFL made it abundantly clear its first goal is to play all of its scheduled games. If so, the 14-team playoff field the league agreed upon during the offseason will remain intact.

Either way, the Raiders have navigated their way into a strong position. As it stands, they are slotted sixth in the AFC, one game behind the Baltimore Ravens (6-2) and tied with the Miami Dolphins (5-3), Indianapolis Colts (5-3 but playing on Thursday night) and the 5-3 Cleveland Browns.

As they prepare for the second-half push, the postseason is absolutely on the Raiders’ radar.

“I love putting up big numbers and all that stuff, but I’ve done those things. Been to the Pro Bowl, done that,” said Raiders quarterback Derek Carr. “It’s all cool. It’s fun for people to pat your back, but none of that stuff matters unless you win. You know what I’m saying?”

In a sign that things are breaking right for the Raiders, they play both the Dolphins and Colts over their final games, and the Browns fortuitously landed on their schedule thanks to both teams finishing in the same position in their respective divisions.

By beating the Browns, the Raiders now have the tiebreaker edge. The same would be true if they beat the Dolphins and Colts and finish with the same record as either team. A three-way tie becomes more difficult to untangle, although the Raiders would be in an advantageous position if they swept the games against their fellow wild-card hopefuls.

In yet another break for the Raiders, their matchups against the Colts and Dolphins are at Allegiant Stadium.

The Raiders, whose schedule over the first eight games was among the toughest in the NFL, also benefit from having one of the easiest over the second half of the season. In fact, based on the combined .433 winning percentage among their remaining opponents, the Raiders have the fifth-easiest schedule. Only the Browns have an easier schedule among teams the Raiders are battling for a wild- card berth.

In contrast, the Colts have the fifth-toughest schedule at .562, including Thursday’s game against the Titans, while the Ravens have the seventh easiest at .447 and the Dolphins the ninth easiest at .455.

One other factor works in the Raiders’ favor: As the calendar flips to late fall and early winter and the weather turns harsher and colder, they play six of their final eight games indoors, including five at Allegiant Stadium.

The Raiders only venture outside to play the New York Jets in New Jersey on Dec. 6th and the Broncos in Denver on January 3rd.

There is still a long way to go. But the way things are shaping up, the Raiders have every reason to be thinking about the playoffs.

Contact Vincent Bonsignore at vbonsignore@reviewjournal.com. Follow @VinnyBonsignore on Twitter.