Las Vegas Raiders have the roster to make a 2023 playoff run

In the midst of their 2023 bye week, the Las Vegas Raiders go into the next month or so with five games remaining in the regular season. For the Silver and Black, it has been another crazy NFL season, as they have fired their general manager and head coach, won enough games to stay alive in the AFC Playoffs, and still are not playing their best football.

After the break, the Raiders will take on the Minnesota Vikings, a team that has their own issues going into that matchup. Yes, they will get Justin Jefferson back in time for this game, but the quarterback position is up in the air after the Joshua Dobbs story has taken a turn for the worst in recent weeks.

There are still three games left against divisional opponents, as well as a matchup against Indianapolis on the slate, all games the Raiders should be in. With talent on both sides of the ball, and enough of it to make a serious run, there is no reason why there won't be some fireworks down the stretch for the Silver and Black.

Maxx Crosby needs to get healthy, and interim head coach Antonio Pierce has to be better with in-game decisions, but overall, it would not shock anyone if the Raiders were able to make some noise in the coming weeks.

Raiders have the talent to make a run at a Wild Card spot

Looking at the AFC West, it will once again be the Kansas City Chiefs who come away with the crown, as they are once again one of the best teams in the conference. The Raiders landed a few big blows in their game against them the last time out, getting up 14-0, but a 31-3 run to end the game sent the Raiders to their bye week at 5-7.

You can point to a lot of issues that game, including Crosby playing at 60 percent due to a knee injury, but facts are facts, and the team cannot afford a late-season loss to the Chiefs the next time they play. Las Vegas, coming out of a bye week, should be able to get past the Vikings in Week 14, but Weeks 15 through 18 will be a hard mountain to climb against teams fighting for their playoff lives as well.

In the end, the team is going to play hard for Pierce, and I believe there is enough talent on this roster to be in every game they play the rest of the way. If the breaks fall the Raiders way down the stretch, we could be looking at a nine-or-ten win team that sneaks their way into the playoffs, but at the very least, the team has to prove they want to play, and win for Pierce.