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Not long ago, the Las Vegas Raiders‘ season looked over after a crushing home loss to the Indianapolis Colts. The focus of the fan base switched to the draft and there was talk of the team embracing a full rebuild. What a difference three weeks make. The team has won three in a row and now there’s talk of them getting into the playoff race.
At 5-7, the Raiders have an uphill battle. They have to at least surpass three teams to earn the seventh seed in the AFC and make the playoffs. With five games left, anything can happen but one thing is for sure: the Raiders need to win the rest of their games to have a real chance. Former New England Patriots wide receiver Julian Edelman spent years getting coached by Josh McDaniels and he believes his former coach can get the Raiders into the playoff this season. He explained how they can make it happen.
“The Raiders can make the playoffs,” Edelman said. “They play the Rams this week, they’re on a three-game winning streak, they have found a formula of how to win. Let’s run the ball, let’s use Josh Jacobs and them into the ground, set up the play action, on these bang eight [routes] … and these pop routes.
“Hunter Renfrow is coming back, maybe Waller is coming back. I don’t know where Waller is at. I hear that Renfrow is coming back, so I think if they keep on playing the game that they are playing, they’re tough. Derek Carr is making some plays right now and he has to continue to do that. If they do, they’ll make the playoffs.”
It appears that Edelman has intel on Renfrow and he’ll be returning soon. In a recent interview with Heavy Sports, Waller revealed that he plans to play again this season so the Raiders offense could be at full strength soon.
What Raiders Need to Happen
The three teams directly ahead of the Raiders in the standings are the Patriots, Los Angeles Chargers and New York Jets. The Patriots and Chargers are only one game ahead of Las Vegas so it should be easy to overtake them, especially with New England playing the Raiders next week. Los Angeles is falling apart physically so it’s hard to see them winning the rest of their games.
The Jets have to give the Raiders the most concern. Every Raiders fan should be a big Buffalo Bills fan this week. They host New York on Sunday and a win would put the Raiders within one game of them if they can take care of business against the Rams. The Jets have the Detroit Lions and Jacksonville Jaguars coming up. Those are games they will likely win. They have two tough games to end the season against the Seattle Seahawks and Miami Dolphins but they could easily win those games, as well. If the Jets can beat the Bills, they’ll have a much better chance of getting into the playoffs. At that point, the Raiders would need the Dolphins or Ravens to fall apart down the stretch. There are still tiebreakers to keep in mind but those will be more relevant as the season nears its end.
Can Raiders Pull This off Again?
The Raiders were in a very similar situation as they were last season. They were 6-7 last year with four games left. They won all of their last four games and snuck into the playoffs. It would be even more miraculous if they made it happen this season.
Finishing 10-7 would require them to win eight straight games. That would be a historic run to get into the playoffs. It’s a massive long shot but the Raiders are hot right now and getting healthier. Anything is possible if Las Vegas keeps winning.
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