Right now the Raiders appear to have a much easier path to the playoffs by winning their division, but in case both they and another AFC West team finish the season out strongly, the Raiders do have a shot at the Wild Card. Here is a look at the teams that may stand between the Raiders and the wild card.
Currently the two AFC Wild Card teams are the 8-3 New England Patriots and the 7-4 Pittsburgh Steelers. Both of those teams will have to play down to their opponents to lose any ground this week as they each face two win teams.
The Patriots travel to Detroit to take on the Lions in a Thanksgiving showdown. One thing to keep an eye on for the Patriots is the status of QB Tom Brady. He missed practice today and his status for Thursday is up in the air. The Steelers, meanwhile travel to Buffalo to take on the Bills. The Bills have been playing much better lately and have actually won two in a row.
Next in line for the wild card is the 6-4 Indianapolis Cots. The Colts have a laundry list of injuries, but still remain a formidable opponent. They will host the San Diego Chargers, in a game Raiders fans should be rooting for the Colts.
Then there are the four teams at 5-5. The Raiders can really help themselves out in this group as they host the 5-5 Miami Dolphins. We already talked about the 5-5 Chargers. The last 5-5 team is the embattled Tennessee Titans, where one thing is certain about their QB situation: It’s not going to be Vince Young. This week the Titans travel to Houston as the 4-6 Texans will be looking to keep their shrinking playoff hopes alive.