AFC Wild Card standings, Week 12: So you’re telling me there’s a chance?
By John Buhler
The Oakland Raiders might have been crushed on Sunday afternoon by the New England Patriots, but they are still alive in the AFC Wild Card race.
With six weeks left in the 2017 NFL season, the AFC needs to get it together and get it together fast. Through Week 11, the only two teams that have any serious Super Bowl LII aspirations are the Pittsburgh Steelers (8-2) and the New England Patriots (8-2). Those two teams have future Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterbacks and defenses capable of going the distance.
Yes, the Jacksonville Jaguars have been a pleasant story in the AFC South, but how far do you think they are going to go with Blake Bortles as their starting quarterback? Jacksonville can definitely win a home game at EverBank Field, but there is no way they are winning in Pittsburgh or Foxborough.
But what about the AFC Wild Card picture? Do the Oakland Raiders have a shot at making it in? Well, as a matter or fact, yes, yes, they do. The AFC is so bottom-heavy anybody not named the Cleveland Browns (0-10) has at least a snowball’s chance at making the AFC playoffs as a wild card team.
Here are the updated conference standings through 11 weeks and about to enter Week 12.
AFC Standings, entering Week 12
- Pittsburgh Steelers (8-2)
- New England Patriots (8-2)
- Jacksonville Jaguars (7-3)
- Kansas City Chiefs (6-4)
- Tennessee Titans (6-4)
- Baltimore Ravens (5-5)
- Buffalo Bills (5-5)
- Miami Dolphins (4-6)
- New York Jets (4-6)
- Cincinnati Bengals (4-6)
- Houston Texans (4-6)
- Los Angeles Chargers (4-6)
- Oakland Raiders (4-6)
- Indianapolis Colts (3-7)
- Denver Broncos (3-7)
- Cleveland Browns (0-10)
Technically, the Browns are still in it, but another loss knocks them out, as they could only finish at best 5-11. This team is going winless, sadly. The four division leaders are Pittsburgh, New England, Jacksonville and the reeling Kansas City Chiefs (6-4). Your two wild card teams would be the Tennessee Titans (6-4) and the Baltimore Ravens (5-5).
Oakland still has a game with Kansas City left on the slate, albeit on the road. The Raiders have the head-to-head tiebreaker over the Chiefs. Winning the AFC West isn’t entirely out of the question with the Raiders being two games back with six left.
Oakland has the head-to-head tiebreaker over four teams in the AFC Wild Card race in the Chiefs, the Titans, the Miami Dolphins (4-6) the New York Jets (4-6). However, the Ravens, the Buffalo Bills (5-5), the Los Angeles Chargers (4-6) and the Denver Broncos (3-7) all have the head-to-head tiebreaker over the Raiders.
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The Raiders have three NFC East games left on the slate in the New York Giants, the Dallas Cowboys and the Philadelphia Eagles. They also have to play each division rival one more time. Oakland gets Denver and Los Angeles at home, but has to go on the road to Kansas City.
While the most recent loss to the Patriots is painful, there is only one more certain loss on the schedule. That would be on the road to Philadelphia on Christmas night. By that point, Philadelphia could have locked up home-field advantage in the NFC. They might be resting players in Week 16 for all we know.
In short, Oakland probably needs to go 5-1 the rest of the way with wins over Denver, New York, Kansas City, Dallas and Los Angeles to make the AFC playoffs at 9-7 as the No. 6 seed. Though quite the parlay, it is possible.
Next: 5 Raiders to watch vs Broncos in Week 12
We may also want to think about how perhaps 8-8 gets the No. 6 seed in the AFC in a down year for the conference. In that case, Oakland only has to go 4-2 in their final six games. Just win out, baby.