The Las Vegas Raiders were at a crossroads last Sunday as they welcomed the Los Angeles Rams into town. Sitting at 3-3 amid a three-game losing streak and facing an undermanned opponent at home, Klint Kubiak's team needed to come out with a win or at least compete. But they did neither.
Now the stakes are even higher in Week 8 as the Raiders head up the East Coast for an AFC bout against the New York Jets, who are 2-5 and fresh off a loss to the previously winless Miami Dolphins. Aaron Glenn's team is down in the dumps, and Las Vegas must kick them while they're down.
With the trade deadline just around the corner, John Spytek has decisions to make. And the result of Sunday's game should loom large in those decisions. To avoid this season dipping into complete disaster, the Raiders simply have to emerge victorious at MetLife Stadium against the Jets.
Because if they can't beat a Geno Smith-led football team, then it is probably time to throw in the towel on this season, or at least start angling even more toward playing the young players in the building. And perhaps selling off some expensive veteran pieces who still have high value.
What could happen if the Raiders win against Jets in Week 8?
If the Raiders can get a win over the Jets, they'll be sitting at 4-4 and either in or just on the cusp of the AFC playoff picture. A coach would have to be crazy to give up on that kind of season, especially with several winnable games on the horizon. With a win, the postseason feels very much in reach.
And in that same vein, it would be unlikely that Las Vegas is looking to sell any notable pieces at the deadline. Sure, some bench or rotational players with any kind of value could still be dealt, but veterans like Maxx Crosby, Kirk Cousins and Kolton Miller would all but certainly be staying put.\
Any cries for Fernando Mendoza to take the reins from Cousins, barring an absolute catastrophe under center, would likely be ignored. The talk about getting rid of Rob Leonard would likely subside, at least for the time being, that is unless the defense gives up 30+ points again.
Would the Raiders become buyers at the deadline if they win on Sunday? Maybe. It depends on how Las Vegas looks. With a dominant victory, one could argue that a piece or two at the right price would give this team enough to make a run in the postseason. A close win, maybe not so much.
But again, if the Raiders are sitting at 4-4 with games against the Chargers, Titans and Cardinals still on the schedule, plus two against a beatable Broncos team, another against the Browns, and a Week 18 game against the Chiefs, who may or may not be playing their starters, it's easy to see 8-10 wins.
By taking down the Jets, Las Vegas would prove once again that it can beat the teams that it is supposed to beat. While they may still struggle against the top competition, the Raiders have enough winnable games left on the calendar to be optimistic about a favorable record.
All of that is out in front of Las Vegas if it can come away with a win. More than anything, this young team needs a mental boost, and a rousing road win should rally the troops ahead of a big rivalry game with the 49ers and an emotional matchup for Kubiak against the Seahawks.
What may happen if Las Vegas loses to New York in Week 8?
Simply put, things would unravel quite a bit.
Losing four games in a row is never good, but it is unquestionably more palatable when you've dropped all of them to true Super Bowl contenders. And in two of them, the Raiders really competed. But a loss to the Jets would signal that this team has gotten worse and can't beat bad foes anymore.
Teams are allowed to be off sometimes, but this would be three off games in the last four weeks. And at a certain point, things stop being an exception and become the rule. Las Vegas cannot let things like coming out flat and not handling business become the rule.
Should the Raiders lose five games in a row before the deadline, it would probably be time to sell off some aging and expensive pieces that still have value. Crosby could be dealt for a first-rounder and more. Cousins could be sold for the right price, as could Miller or a number of others.
And Mendoza would simply have to start for the Silver and Black, as a 3-5 team that just lost to a downtrodden Jets team is going nowhere fast. It would be a waste to have Cousins taking reps from the young player in a season that, not mathematically, but emotionally, is all but over.
Questions would be asked about Kubiak and Leonard. Even more questions would probably be asked about Spytek. That may be a bit premature and not quite fair, but that is how things go. This is a results-based business, and five-game losing streaks are simply unacceptable.
If this team can't bounce back and show some signs of life in this one, then it's simply not in the cards this year. Nobody is saying that the Raiders should tank or anything, but the coaching staff and front office would need to move accordingly based on that bit of information and plan for the future.
It sounds a bit extreme to act as if one game at the midway point matters so much, but for a Las Vegas team that is ahead of schedule in their rebuild, but still very much in a rebuild, the trade deadline sitting as the backdrop is forcing their hand to essentially choose one of two paths.
Staying put is obviously an option, but keeping things the exact same after five straight losses may cause the leadership to lose some credibility, and deservedly so.
New York is a unique challenge because it won't be a pushover, but the Raiders absolutely should come out on top of this one. So, the result of this Week 8 bout will have wide-ranging implications for the Silver and Black both now and in the future. And the butterfly effect would be massive.
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