If the playoffs started today, the Raiders would have home-field advantage through the AFC postseason.
Advertisement
An AFC matchup ends Week 13 of the 2016 National Football League regular season schedule, as the New York Jets will welcome the Indianapolis Colts.
The last time the Raiders faced a team in even somewhat cold conditions was their last trip to Kansas City in the 2015 season finale. It is the top-seeded team in the AFC, ahead of the New England Patriots (10-2).
Reid and the Chiefs’ staff coached Carr in last season’s Pro Bowl and got to know him then.
The 3-9 Bears are coming off a 26-6 win over San Francisco as one-point home underdogs, but are winless SU in six on the road and have failed to post consecutive SU wins in nearly 13 months. This loss combined, with a below-average defense, specifically the front seven, shakes up the playoff picture dramatically and might open the door for other teams to make a great January run.
When the Oakland Raiders finally got rolling on Sunday, they had their way with the Buffalo Bills.
Two weeks ago in Denver, the Chiefs rallied to force overtime with a touchdown and late 2-point conversion, lost the coin toss and held on defense – when the Broncos missed a field goal – before doing enough to kick their own field goal for a 30-27 victory. After the Raiders, they have the Titans and Broncos at home before finishing up in San Diego.
This week, both the Broncos and Chiefs took their talents on the road, with Denver traveling to play the Jaguars and the Chiefs heading south to play the Falcons, while the Raiders and Chargers played in the afternoon, hosting the Bills and Bucs, respectively.
Now, let’s play out a different scenario.
Pittsburgh’s Ben Roethlisberger passed for 289 yards and two touchdowns to lead the Steelers over the Giants 24-14. The Patriots are 10-3 straight up in their last 13 meetings with the Ravens, who are 5-3-1 against the spread over the series’ past nine games. Currently, the Dolphins (7-5) and Steelers (7-5) are on the outside looking in.
It would also swing the balance of the pivotal tiebreaker should the Patriots lose a game down the stretch. “They’re flying around and making plays”.
And the Broncos remained at No. 6 after holding off the Jaguars. The second is record inside the conference. The Raiders are fresh off another come from behind win, this time over the Buffalo Bills. His ability combined with the level of talent and intangibles the Raiders’ most talented players possess lends one to believe that this six-game winning streak is no fluke whatsoever.
If the Raiders can pull off the win over the Chiefs on Thursday, that would put them two games up on KC with just three games left in the season.
Advertisement
The Dolphins’ schedule isn’t almost as hard as Denver’s, but it’s not easy by any stretch. Quarterback Alex Smith was at his efficient best, completing 19 of 22 passes, running back Spencer Ware rushed for a career-best 131 yards and Ford recorded his first multiple-sack game of the season. If the Texans and Jaguars both finish at 6-10, then the only room to differentiate is in the AFC West. This season is turning into a dream year and it’s wild to think that the team’s biggest test is yet to come.
