A Week 8 win over the New York Jets gave the Raiders a much-needed lift, and it also put their playoff hopes back in focus. With the trade deadline approaching and a Week 9 trip to face a strong San Francisco 49ers team looming, there’s plenty going on in Las Vegas right now.
There’s also a bigger question hanging over the second half of the season: what does the rest of the schedule look like for the Silver and Black? With half of the 17-game slate already in the books, here’s a look at how the Raiders’ final nine games could play out.
The stretch starts in Week 9 at San Francisco, where the Raiders’ defense is expected to have a rough time slowing down the 49ers’ offense. Klint Kubiak has done impressive work in Las Vegas this season, though, and that should help keep things competitive. San Francisco is still the better team, but the game should stay tight, helped along by what figures to be a 50-50 crowd split.
Week 10 brings Seattle to Las Vegas, and the matchup could tilt in the Raiders’ favor if Sam Darnold is unavailable and Drew Lock is limited by the injury he’s dealing with in practice this week. The Raiders also have an edge in the chess match if Kubiak can find a way to attack Mike Macdonald’s defense. In a sort of master-and-apprentice setup, the student gets the win at home.
The following week sends Las Vegas to Denver, and that’s where things get tricky. Winning there is never simple, even with Kubiak having spent much of his upbringing in Colorado. The Broncos’ offense doesn’t look especially intimidating, but the road setting in November could be a problem for Kirk Cousins, especially against Denver’s front.
After that comes Week 12 in Cleveland, and this is the kind of game the Raiders should handle. The Browns are viewed as a pretender, and even with ugly weather likely with December approaching, Las Vegas is projected to leave with a comfortable win before the bye.
It would also be the Raiders’ second straight road game, but that doesn’t change the expectation of a fairly convincing result. Result: 34-21 win (6-6)
The schedule then picks back up in Week 14 at home against the Chargers, and the outlook there is bleak for Los Angeles. Justin Herbert is described as a shell of himself, Jim Harbaugh is said to be completely lost, and the expectation is that the Chargers will have moved on from a lot of talent at the deadline, including players like Khalil Mack.
Week 15 brings Denver back to Las Vegas, and that one looks much tougher. After seeing a few games against the Vance Joseph coaching tree, Kubiak should have a better plan this time.
Even so, the Broncos remain a strong team, and Sean Payton’s group is the kind that finds strange ways to win close games. Result: 27-24 loss (7-7)
In Week 16, the Titans come to town, and this is another spot where the Raiders should be able to steady themselves. Tennessee can rise to the level of its opponent, but the trade of Jeffery Simmons takes away a major piece of that formula, and the Titans may be out of the race by then. A convincing Las Vegas win is the call.
Week 17 sends the Raiders to Arizona, where Minshew Mania is expected to be over and Carson Beck should be under center for the Cardinals. How Beck performs is still an open question, but Arizona is still considered better than most people realize. The Cardinals are also described as putrid at home, which opens the door for Las Vegas to escape with a win and keep its postseason hopes alive.
That leaves the final trip to Kansas City, and the belief here is that the Broncos, not the Chiefs, are the best team in the division. That means Kansas City could be playing for seeding, and the Chiefs won’t want the Raiders anywhere near the playoffs. In a must-win setting, Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes get the edge, especially at Arrowhead.
It all adds up to a finish that goes right down to the wire, and it would be heartbreaking for the Raiders if it plays out that way.
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