Week 15 contained a victory for the Oakland Raiders, unfortunately it also did for virtually everyone else they needed to lose. The Raiders needed either the New York Jets or the Baltimore Ravens to lose or there was going to be no scenario in which they could claim one of the two AFC Wild Card spots. Both the Jets and Ravens were playing 10-win teams and both walked away victorious.
The Ravens hosted the defending champion New Orleans Saints. The Ravens improved their record to 10-4 by leading the Saints almost start to finish, for an impressive 30-24 victory. The Jets, who came into Sunday’s action losers of two straight, were down by seven in the third quarter and rallied for a 22-17 victory.
One more victory for the Jets or Ravens, or just a loss by either the Chargers and the Jaguars or Colts and the Jets and Ravens will clinch a post-season berth. The victories signaled the end of the road for the Raiders wild card hopes. Their only road to the post-season must now go through the AFC West.