Oakland Raiders
After a close loss to the Houston Texans to close the road trip, the Oakland Raiders successfully took advantage of their three-game homestand. The Raiders compiled three straight wins, good enough for the last wild card spot. Oakland took their 6-4 record to MetLife for a date with the New York Jets.
With an opportunity to strengthen their postseason push, Oakland undoubtedly laid an egg. One team looked motivated for a win, and the other looked unprepared to play. The 3-7 Jets proved to be the former, while the Raiders were the latter, losing 34-3 and falling out of the postseason race (for now). After getting on the scoreboard with a field goal, the Jets scored 34 straight points as dropped passes, poor defensive play, and lack of offensive execution plagued Oakland.
Sam Darnold threw for 315 yards and two touchdowns, adding another score on the ground as the Jets completely outplayed the Raiders defense. Derek Carr completed just 55 percent of his passes while his interception was returned for six points. The Raiders are not out of the playoff race, but Sunday’s loss was a significant missed opportunity.