Las Vegas Raiders clinch playoffs for first time since 2016 season
By Brad Weiss
The Las Vegas Raiders are going to the playoffs, this after an improbable late-season run that made them one of the seven teams left in the AFC.
For the Las Vegas Raiders, to say that this season was a roller coaster would be an understatement, as they have had to endure a ton of issues on and off the field. From their head coach resigning to their star wide receiver being cut after his involvement in a fatal car accident, the Silver and Black have had to battle through adversity all season long.
On the field, it has been a roller coaster as well, as they started out 3-0, lost two straight, but then went into the bye week at 5-2. That was when the accident happened with Henry Ruggs III, and it also began a string where the team would lose five of six games, falling to 6-7 overall on the season.
The only win for the Raiders during that time was an improbable victory over the Dallas Cowboys on Thanksgiving Day, a game that ended up being huge in the long run. At 6-7, the Raiders playoff chances were down to single-digits in terms of percentage, but they put their heads down and would go on to pillage their way to the playoffs.
Raiders clinch their first playoff berth since the 2016 season
Going into Week 18, the Raiders had won three straight, beating the Cleveland Browns and Indianapolis Colts on the road, and defeating the Denver Broncos between those two wins at Allegiant Stadium. At 9-7, they could get into the playoffs with a few scenarios, including both the Jacksonville Jaguars and Baltimore Ravens winning during the 10AM PT games.
To have that happen, the Jags would have to beat the Colts as a huge underdog, but they were able to do it, as they hounded Carson Wentz all game long. In an AFC North battle inside M&T Bank Stadium, the Steelers beat the Ravens in overtime, meaning the Raiders would need to beat the Chargers or tie them inside Allegiant Stadium on Sunday Night Football to clinch their playoff spot, and that is exactly what they did.
It ended with a Carlson FG, locking up the No. 5 seed in the AFC.
Now, the Raiders will look to continue their good fortunes in the Wild Card round, a place they have not been since 2017. In that game, Derek Carr was unable to play due to breaking his leg late in the season, but next weekend, No. 4 will get the opportunity to shed some of the narrative surrounding his record-breaking NFL career.