Raiders vs. Browns: Why this could be the most important game of the 2012 season for Oakland

The Oakland Raiders have been blown out of the water for three straight weeks and have lost four straight games for the first time since 2008. They have one of the worst records in the entire NFL and as if that isn't bad enough, anyone who has watched them knows that they have looked worse than even their 3-8 record would indicate. They have no chance of making the playoffs, and will likely come nowhere near matching the 8-8 record they were able to finish with the past two seasons. Yet, despite all of the negativity this season, the Raiders have not yet hit rock bottom. That, however, could all change after they host the Cleveland Browns this weekend.

The Browns are clearly one of the worst teams in the NFL, and before their recent four game losing streak, that was a distinction the Raiders had hoped to steer clear of. They were able to pull out wins against two other teams vying to be the worst of the worst in the Jacksonville Jaguars and the Kansas City Chiefs. Since then, however, the Raiders have done nothing but regress and look like a far worse team than the one who beat those two bottom feeders.

What was once looked at as an easy win for the Raiders has suddenly become a must win for the Silver and Black. No, its not a must win in the traditional sense, because the Raiders have no hope of salvaging anything positive from this season. Rather, it is a must win because if the Raiders lose, they could very well pack it in and lose the remainder of their games this season. There may not be much positive left to fight for, but things could still get a lot worse if they cannot even beat the Browns at home.