While explaining why he is sticking with veteran Kirk Cousins as his starting quarterback, Las Vegas Raiders coach Klint Kubiak pointed out the team is still in the AFC playoff mix.
To remain in the mix, the Raiders must win at the New York Jets on Sunday. After starting the season 3-0, the Raiders have dropped four straight game. Falling to 3-5 at midseason would be staggering for the Raiders for several reasons.
The Jets are 2-5 and aren’t a good team. The Raiders, whose three wins this season have
come against teams with a combined 3-16 record, must take advantage of this schedule break. Their next three games are at the San Francisco 49ers, at home against the Seattle Seahawks and at the Denver Broncos. Those three teams are a combined 15-6.
There is little room for error in this stretch.
The Raiders’ schedule does ease down the stretch, but the key is for Las Vegas not to create a hole they can’t dig out of. There are currently nine teams in the AFC with running records. Seven teams advance to the playoffs. The Raiders are the only team in the conference at 3-4. Six teams have two or fewer victories in the AFC.
If the Raiders want to stay close the playoff chase, they must win at New York. Dropping to 3-5 after a 3-0 start would be devastating for a team and it could propel the team into becoming trade sellers before the November 10 deadline.
So, for a lot of reasons, this is a crucial week for Kubiak’s team.
