Raiders' Rooting Guide for NFL Playoff Implications of Week 16

The Las Vegas Raiders are still holding on to a glimmer of hope to qualify for the NFL postseason.

To keep that hope going into Week 17 the Raiders must spring a Christmas Day upset over the Kansas City Chiefs and receive loads of help from elsewhere.

An upset over Kansas City must be followed by victories over the Indianapolis Colts and Denver Broncos to drag both of those teams further down the AFC wild-card standings.

A 3-0 record to end the season seems like the only realistic way the Raiders can make the seven-team field on their own merit.

They also need the tiebreakers currently against them to be out of the picture and those specific disadvantages to their playoff hopes draw clear rooting interests for Week 16.

Falcons over Colts

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CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA - DECEMBER 17: Desmond Ridder #9 of the Atlanta Falcons looks to pass during the second half of the game against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium on December 17, 2023 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)

The Raiders need a bounce-back performance from the Atlanta Falcons in their home clash with the Indianapolis Colts.

Indianapolis comes into Week 16 with a two-game edge on the Raiders in the standings.

That can be flipped if the Colts lose and Raiders win in Week 16 and then through a Raiders head-to-head win in Week 17.

That specific situation would allow the Raiders to jump the Colts in a potentially large heap of eight-win teams after Week 17.

Indianapolis is in the middle of a brutal stretch in which it is fighting for its playoff life every week. The Colts lost to the Cincinnati Bengals two weeks ago and beat the Pittsburgh Steelers last week.

Atlanta needs a win to potentially get back into the NFC South title conversation. The New Orleans Saints already lost on Thursday night and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers could fall to the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday.

A Falcons win and a Bucs loss would put all three NFC South teams at 7-8 with two weeks left in the regular season.

Bengals over Steelers

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CINCINNATI, OH - DECEMBER 16: Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Jake Browning (6) passes the ball during the game against the Minnesota Vikings and the Cincinnati Bengals on December 16, 2023, at Paycor Stadium in Cincinnati, OH. (Photo by Ian Johnson/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

The Raiders need the Steelers to continue their tumble down the AFC wild-card standings.

Pittsburgh is one of two wild-card contenders with a head-to-head win over the Raiders. The Buffalo Bills are the other team.

Buffalo does not appear to be slowing down at the moment, so at least the Raiders can hope for the Steelers' misfortune to extend into Week 16.

Pittsburgh benched Mitch Trubisky in favor of Mason Rudolph for the AFC North clash with the Bengals, but that may not do anything given the current state of the franchise's offense.

A Bengals win would boost them further away from the Raiders in the standings, but all Las Vegas needs is for one spot to be open ahead of Week 18.

Las Vegas can take care of Indianapolis and Denver by itself, and if the Steelers and Texans struggle with backup quarterbacks in place, it has a potential opening to the No. 7 seed.

Chargers over Bills

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LAS VEGAS, NV - DECEMBER 14: Los Angeles Chargers wide receiver Alex Erickson (82) warms up during the Los Angeles Chargers vs Las Vegas Raiders game on December 14, 2023, at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, NV. (Photo by Jordon Kelly/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Any playoff permutations involving the Raiders must involve the Bills losing.

Buffalo holds a head-to-head win over Las Vegas from Week 2, and as long as it stays in contention for the No. 7 seed, the Raiders are in a tough spot.

Putting faith in the Bills' Week 16 opponent is difficult, though, because the Los Angeles Chargers are in shambles right now, as the Raiders saw firsthand in Week 15.

Las Vegas has to hope the Brandon Staley firing inspired the healthy players on the Chargers roster to be competitive at home on Saturday night.

If not, Buffalo could run away with its third straight win and move to 9-6 with the New England Patriots next on the schedule in Week 17.

The path to the No. 7 seed has to look somewhat reasonable for the Raiders, but it will seem closed off if the Bills, Bengals and Cleveland Browns win in Week 16.

The Raiders need four teams in front of them to lose. The Colts can fall in Atlanta and there are two wild-card matchups between the Browns and Texans and Bengals and Steelers. A Bills loss combined with a Colts defeat would fit the ideal scenario for the Raiders so they have a chance to gain playoff momentum on Monday.