Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
USA Today Sports Media Group
USA Today Sports Media Group
Sport
Levi Damien

Loss to Chiefs would officially take Raiders out of playoff contention

Mathematically speaking, the Raiders are not out of the playoffs. Though it is an extreme longshot. Even if they were to win out the final three games, they would still need a lot of help to get in.

As for being eliminated, they could do that all on their own this week.

The Raiders travel to Kansas City on Christmas Day. And should they lose to the Chiefs, that would make it official — they would be eliminated from the playoffs.

For what it’s worth, the Raiders last won in Kansas City in 2020.

It’s crazy to think that sitting at 6-8 on the season puts the Raiders technically in reach of the playoffs — and the Super Bowl by extension — and the second overall pick. That’s a draft range of 31 picks!

No matter what happens Monday, that range will diminish. A win would likely take them out of at least the top three while a loss would mean they draft no lower than 18th.

The only other team in the league who would be eliminated with a loss alone would be the Chargers. The Raiders made that possible with their 63-21 win last Thursday.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.