With the Las Vegas Raiders in an obvious rebuilding year, it may have been a mistake to be scanning the playoff landscape. But after a 3-0 start and a close loss against the front-running Kansas City Chiefs, it was impossible for downtrodden fans not to take this beacon of hope and run with it.
But just as the playoffs started to feel like a potential reality, things slipped away dramatically. Klint Kubiak's team is on a four-game losing streak, and after having a chance at first place in the AFC West after Week 4, the Raiders are now comfortably in third place in the division.
So, the AFC playoff picture is not too kind to them this week. After hanging around as a Wild Card team for several weeks, they finally dropped out after last Sunday's loss. And they have fallen further out of the equation after a Week 7 loss to the Los Angeles Rams.
Updated AFC Playoff Picture after Week 7 has Las Vegas tumbling more
1. Kansas City Chiefs (5-1)
2. Buffalo Bills (5-1)
3. Cleveland Browns (5-2)
4. Jacksonville Jaguars (4-2)
5. Denver Broncos (5-2)
6. Pittsburgh Steelers (5-2)
7. Cincinnati Bengals (4-2)
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8. New England Patriots (4-3)
9. Baltimore Ravens (4-3)
10. Las Vegas Raiders (3-4)
11. New York Jets (2-5)
12. Indianapolis Colts (2-5)
13. Houston Texans (2-5)
14. Miami Dolphins (1-5)
15. Tennessee Titans (1-6)
16. Los Angeles Chargers (0-6)
While the Raiders remain at No. 10 in the conference standings, the situation around them is certainly a bit different than it was at this time last week. Instead of just being 1.0 games back from the team in fifth place, Las Vegas is now 1.5 games back from the team in seventh place. That's a stark contrast.
According to The Athletic's playoff simulator, the Silver and Black's odds of making the postseason have dropped to just 13 percent. If they can beat the New York Jets in Week 8, they'll recoup a bit and jump to 19%. A loss would send them down to 7%, though, and raise some serious questions.
The Kansas City Chiefs suffered their first setback on Sunday, dropping to 5-1 but remaining atop the AFC, ahead of the also 5-1 Buffalo Bills. Another shocking Cleveland Browns win put them ahead of the Jacksonville Jaguars, who were on a bye. Maybe this Cleveland team is for real.
Another Denver Broncos win has them in control of the Wild Card picture, with the Pittsburgh Steelers, who won on Sunday morning in Paris, France, just behind them. The Cincinnati Bengals are a game behind but sneak into the final spot because they have one fewer loss than their counterparts.
Just ahead of the Raiders are the New England Patriots and Baltimore Ravens, both of whom are 4-3. Because the Patriots have the tiebreaker over Las Vegas via head-to-head matchup, that is a bit daunting if New England remains in the equation.
Luckily, Kubiak's team can get back on track this week against a foe that is just behind them in the standings: the 2-5 New York Jets, who just gave the Miami Dolphins their first win of the year. The Raiders should be able to handle business and separate themselves in a different echelon here.
Indianapolis is already having a fire sale, as they've thrown in the towel on the 2026 season. The Houston Texans, also sitting at 2-5, are unlikely to do the same. Miami and Tennessee were expected to be at the bottom of the conference this year, but as always, the Chargers are a delicious surprise.
They avoided embarrassment last week because they were on a bye, but it's back to the field and probably the win column for them in Week 8 against the Los Angeles Rams.
Hopefully, the Raiders remain in the playoff picture for a good majority of the season, and this weekly column doesn't turn into a draft order update or a mock draft hub... But we will adjust accordingly.
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