Oakland Raiders slide back into a playoff spot with Steelers loss
By Brad Weiss
With the Pittsburgh Steelers losing to the Cleveland Browns on Thursday night, the Oakland Raiders now hold the No. 6 spot in the AFC Playoffs.
The Oakland Raiders have played their way into the playoff picture this season, thanks to some miraculous victories on the road, and two straight home wins against the Detroit Lions and Los Angeles Chargers. Like most teams, they will need help from others to actually win a playoff spot this season, and they certainly got some help on Thursday night.
With the Cleveland Brown beating the Pittsburgh Steelers at home on Thursday Night Football, the Raiders now head into their Week 11 game against the Cincinnati Bengals sitting as the No. 6 seed in the AFC Playoffs. For a team that won only four games last season, it has been quite a turnaround in 2019.
Oakland has benefited from a strong rookie class by Jon Gruden and Mike Mayock, as running back Josh Jacobs is the front-runner to win Offensive Rookie of the Year honors. In addition, defensive ends Maxx Crosby and Clelin Ferrell look like a special duo, and guys like Hunter Renfrow and the undrafted Alec Ingold have been crucial to their success.
On Sunday, they will be taking on a Bengals team with a rookie quarterback, as the team made the move from Andy Dalton to Ryan Finley in recent weeks. Finley’s first start was a tough one last week against the Baltimore Ravens, and the Raiders defense should be able to hold him in check as well this Sunday.
As it stands, the Raiders would hold the No. 6 spot in the AFC if the season ended tomorrow, setting up a game on the road against the Houston Texans. Remember, the last time the Raiders were in the playoffs, after the 2016 regular season, they played those same Texans, though Derek Carr did not play in the game due to his broken leg.
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Of course, the most important thing for the Raiders is to take care of their own business on Sunday, as they cannot afford to lose to a team without any wins this season. For the Raiders, this has been a very successful start to the season, and with the toughest part of their schedule in the rearview mirror, the division title is still not out of the question.