Raiders' Rooting Guide for NFL Playoff Implications of Week 13
The Las Vegas Raiders' playoff chances may not be as bleak as you think they are.
All it takes is a few results to go in Las Vegas' favor during its Week 13 bye to have everything to play for in the final five regular-season games.
The Raiders are only 1.5 games out of the No. 7 seed that is occupied by the Indianapolis Colts.
They will gain a half-game on at least one of the Houston Texans and Denver Broncos. The No. 8 and No. 9 teams in the AFC play each other on Sunday.,
Las Vegas would prefer that Houston and other out-of-division opponents lose more in the wild-card race in Week 13 because Denver and the Los Angeles Chargers are still on its schedule.
Los Angeles probably will not slip up against the New England Patriots so the Raiders can channel their rooting interests elsewhere so they have as clear of a climb as possible to a wild-card position.
Broncos over Texans
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Las Vegas already holds a head-to-head win over the Broncos and they play again in Week 18.
The Raiders only need to be tied on record with Denver to finish ahead of them in the standings if that Week 18 victory happens.
Houston is already one full game ahead of the Raiders on the conference record tiebreaker. The Texans are 3-3 and the Raiders sit at 3-5.
The Texans will have two additional opportunities to improve on that mark than the Raiders, so any losses by C.J. Stroud and Co. are welcome.
Denver is playing some of the best football in the league right now, so it is not of the question for it to go into Houston and win the contest.
The Raiders have to hope for their divisional rival to win and then lose at least once in the next four games to set up a potential head-to-head battle with a higher finish in the standings on the line in Week 18.
Titans over Colts
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The Raiders need Derrick Henry to run all over the Indianapolis Colts.
The Tennessee Titans would move level with the Raiders at 5-7 with a win, but right now, it is more important that the team in the No. 7 position loses.
Indianapolis sits in its current spot despite losing rookie quarterback Anthony Richardson to a season-ending shoulder injury.
The Colts come into Tennessee on a three-game winning streak, but containing Henry late in the season is no easy task.
Henry finished the 2022 regular season with four straight 100-yard performances and he had two 200-yard outings after December 1 in 2020.
Indianapolis limited Henry to 43 rushing yards on October 8, but he is coming off one of his best performances of the season with 76 yards and two scores against the Carolina Panthers.
A Henry-led win over the Colts would drop the current No. 7 seed to 6-6 and it would add a conference loss to the Colts' tally.
If the Raiders win out of the bye, they could be one game back, or level, with the Colts ahead of their Week 17 battle that could be vital in the wild-card race.
Jaguars over Bengals
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The Raiders officially need the Cincinnati Bengals to fall beneath them in the standings.
Monday night presents that specific opportunity, as the Jacksonville Jaguars are expected to beat the Bengals.
Cincinnati's playoff hopes were dashed when Joe Burrow was ruled out for the season. The Bengals do not appear to stand much of a chance on the road with Jake Browning at the helm.
A Jacksonville win would place the Bengals at the same record as the Raiders, but Las Vegas would be in front thanks to the conference record tiebreaker. The Bengals come into Monday with a 1-6 mark inside the AFC.
At minimum, the Raiders should move up to the No. 11 spot in the AFC after Week 13 and they can play their way up with head-to-head wins over the Chargers, Colts and Broncos.
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