The Las Vegas Raiders control their own destiny as they head into the final five games of the 2020 NFL regular season looking for a playoff spot.
Starting out at 6-3, the Las Vegas Raiders looked to be destined for the playoffs, this after once again navigating a tough early-season schedule. However, after two straight losses, including an embarrassing loss at 3-7 Atlanta last Sunday, the future is starting to look more and more cloudy for the Silver and Black.
Sure, they have a “get right” game against the New York Jets on Sunday, going up against an 0-11 team that seems destined for the No. 1 overall pick in 2021. However, moving forward, there are games that the Raiders absolutely must-have, and correcting a lot of their mistakes against the lowly Jets could be exactly what this team needs.
In Week 13, the Raiders travel East without Josh Jacobs and Johnathan Abram, two keys to their success all season long. Even without them, they should be able to take care of business against the Jets, but moving forward, they are going to need all hands on deck, especially in an AFC that is loaded with talented teams.
Looking ahead, the Raiders control their own destiny, and will likely make the playoffs if they can just beat the teams in front of them.
Las Vegas Raiders control their destiny to close out the 2020 season
Looking Ahead
First things first, the Raiders need to go into Metlife Stadium and prove to themselves that they are a legitimate playoff contender. The Jets are an absolute joke of a team, with one of the worst head coaches we have seen in a while, so Jon Gruden and company should be able to dial up a gameplan that enables the Silver and Black to win easily.
From there, the road gets tough, as at least ten teams are vying for the seven playoff spots, and the Raiders play two of them down the stretch. Las Vegas will get both Indianapolis and Miami at home, two teams that would make the playoffs if the season ended tomorrow, so they are certainly in control of their own destiny moving forward.
The Raiders’ other two games to close out the season are against division rivals in Los Angeles and Denver, so those are not going to be gimme-games either. Each week, the Raiders have to do their job on the field, and then get some help, so expect drama the rest of the way.
As we said earlier, Las Vegas is going to need help from other teams each week, and we listed the three to root for other than the Silver and Black in Week 13 recently. This is a team that can beat anybody on any given Sunday, and they will have their opportunities to earn their playoff spot the rest of the way.