Las Vegas Raiders playoff chances fading after loss to the WFT
By Brad Weiss
The Las Vegas Raiders had playoff aspirations after getting off to a 5-2 start, but sitting at 6-6, and in the middle of another collapse, it may take a miracle.
The Las Vegas Raiders played host to the Washington Football Team on Sunday, a team that came into the game as winners of three straight. Though the WFT had been on a streak, the Silver and Black were seen as the favorite, as the WFT was coming into Allegiant Stadium on a short week, and they were a bit banged up.
The Raiders, on the other hand, were going into the matchup with extended rest, after beating the Dallas Cowboys on Thanksgiving Day. In that game, the offense was humming, as they scored 36 points on the NFC East-leading Cowboys, and Derek Carr moved into first in the NFL in passing yards.
On Sunday, the offense was nowhere to be seen, barely managing one touchdown against the WFT defense, and losing 17-15 at home. That loss moved the Raiders to 6-6 on the season, and entering a tough stretch, starting on the road against Kansas City, their playoff chances could be slim-to-none by this time next week.
Raiders fail to get it going against the WFT
It was evident early on that the offense was going to struggle, as they were without Darren Waller, and the offensive line was getting pushed around. The running game once again failed to do anything of significance, and you can only rely on Hunter Renfrow to carry your passing game for so long.
Carr was inexplicably bad, as he was under duress for most of the game, and could not lead the team to a victory in a very winnable game. Overall, the defense looked better, only allowing 17 points, but these are the kinds of games you need to win if you hope to finally get back to the playoffs for only the second time since the 2002 season.
In the end, the loss was devastating to the Raiders’ playoff chances, as they have extremely tough games ahead against Kansas City, Indianapolis, and another tilt against the Los Angeles Chargers. This season has a chance to really derail, and the team finish under .500, which would be a shocking development after such a strong start.
Las Vegas needed a win Sunday, and they could not get it done.