The AFC has already started to sort itself out after four weeks, and Las Vegas is still right in the middle of the picture.
At 3-1, the Raiders are hanging onto a wild-card spot despite taking their lone loss against the Chiefs in what the source described as a “we have arrived” showing. That defeat did not knock them out of the conversation.
If anything, it helped confirm that Klint Kubiak’s team belongs in it. The talk around the Silver and Black has already reached postseason territory, with some even floating “Super Bowl” chatter.
For a franchise that has made the playoffs only twice since 2002, that kind of momentum stands out. The Raiders reached the postseason in 2016 and 2021, five years apart, and now it’s 2026.
Maybe that pattern means something. Maybe it doesn’t.
Either way, Las Vegas is sitting in a spot it hasn’t occupied often enough this century.
Here’s how the AFC playoff field looks after Week 4:
- Kansas City Chiefs (4-0)
- Jacksonville Jaguars (3-1)
- Buffalo Bills (3-1)
- Cleveland Browns (3-1)
- Baltimore Ravens (3-1)
- Las Vegas Raiders (3-1)
- New England Patriots (2-2)
- Denver Broncos (2-2)
- Pittsburgh Steelers (2-2)
- Indianapolis Colts (2-2)
- Cincinnati Bengals (2-2)
- New York Jets (1-3)
- Tennessee Titans (0-4)
- Los Angeles Chargers (0-4)
- Houston Texans (0-4)
- Miami Dolphins (0-4)
Kansas City is back on top as the AFC’s only unbeaten team after beating Las Vegas in Week 4. The Jaguars and Bills are right behind them, and that part of the board looks fairly familiar.
If the season ended today, the Raiders would be headed to Buffalo for a brutal wild-card matchup, with the winner of Jaguars-Patriots waiting next. That’s the kind of road that reminds you how quickly the margins tighten once January football gets involved. Of course, there are 14 weeks left, and plenty can still shift.
The Week 5 meeting with New England already carries real weight. It’s early, but AFC wins are going to matter all season, especially in the wild-card race. With Kansas City and Buffalo looking like the conference frontrunners, Las Vegas and New England could spend the year fighting over seeding and positioning.
The AFC North is crowded too. Cleveland and Baltimore are battling for the top spot, while the Bengals and Steelers are still close enough to make this division a weekly grind. After four games, there’s not much separation, and there have already been some surprising outcomes.
Denver’s 2-2 start may not have been expected, though the Broncos have dealt with a tough opening stretch. They are right behind Las Vegas, and the math could tighten fast if the Raiders lose on the road to the Patriots and Denver beats the Chargers.
At the other end of the standings, Miami being last is no surprise. Tennessee and the Jets are also where few people wanted to see them.
The bigger shock is the combined 0-8 start for the Chargers and Texans. That is the kind of hole that can bury a season early, and history is not on their side: only one team has ever started 0-4 and still made the postseason.
Las Vegas still has the look of a team with real possibilities after four weeks, but the next step matters. A win over New England would keep the Raiders ahead of the chase, help them stay clear of Denver, and strengthen their position in a crowded AFC race.
In Other News...
Maxx Crosby Just Took The Mahomes Rivalry Somewhere Personal
Maxx Crosby has never been shy about the Patrick Mahomes matchup, but he took the familiar Raiders-Chiefs edge in a more personal direction during an episode of his podcast, The Rush. Crosby talked about the ongoing physical and psychological chess match he and Mahomes seem to play every time they line up across from each other, a rivalry built as much on stubbornness and feel as it is on pass-rush production.
Crosby also pointed to one of the stranger details of the matchup, saying Mahomes makes unusual vocal sounds when he gets tackled. It is the kind of observation that only comes from repeated collisions and plenty of time spent trying to get inside an opponents head, and Crosby has done plenty of both, piling up 6.5 sacks and 49 quarterback pressures against Mahomes in his career. [Read more 🡒]
Raiders Loss Put A Few Veterans On Notice Fast
The Raiders first game of the 2026 season against the Chiefs offered an early look at where the roster already looks solid and where the margin for error is thin. A few veterans came out of the opener with some encouragement attached to their names, including Spencer Burford, who held up better in pass protection, while the team also got reminders that one play can tilt a game fast in a division matchup.
Kwity Paye did not make much of an imprint on the defensive side, and Dareke Youngs fumble on a kickoff return became the kind of mistake that can swing momentum before a team has settled in. In a loss that doubled as an evaluation game, the Raiders found enough positives to keep building on, but the individual letdowns also made clear which players will have to answer quickly the next time they take the field. [Read more 🡒]
Raiders Catch A Break As Patriots Defense Enters Week 5 Shorthanded
The Raiders Week 5 prep got a little more interesting when the Patriots opened the week with a long injury list on defense, including eight players who were absent from the first practice. For a Las Vegas offense looking to build momentum, the timing matters, because New Englands depth chart is already being tested before the game even gets into full swing.
Christian Gonzalez and Christian Barmore were among the most notable names, with Gonzalez expected to remain out and Barmore possibly limited to some activities. The Patriots do have a few players on injured reserve who are eligible to return, but coach Mike Vrabel said it does not sound like any of them are likely to be activated this week, leaving the Raiders with a clearer path to attack a defense that may be piecing things together on the fly. [Read more 🡒]