Jon Gruden and the Oakland Raiders have been through a lot this season. Following the Antonio Brown drama ahead of the season, the team was widely thought to be headed for another high draft pick. That did not end up being the case, as the Raiders have actually been competitive all season long.
As noted by NFL analyst Gregg Rosenthal, the Raiders actually still have a real shot at making the playoffs. They need to take care of business next week against the Denver Broncos and then also need three things to happen. The good news is that those three things could definitely happen.
Take a look at the breakdown of what Oakland needs to reach the AFC playoffs:
The Raiders' path to the playoffs isn't THAT crazy if they finish this out:
1. Raiders win at Broncos
2. Titans lose at Texans
3. Steelers lose at Ravens
4. Colts win at Jags— Gregg Rosenthal (@greggrosenthal) December 22, 2019
If the Raiders are able to sneak into the playoffs, they are going to be an intriguing matchup for whoever they play. Derek Carr has been a tale of two quarterbacks this season. Josh Jacobs has been a monster as a rookie, while Darren Waller and Tyrell Williams have each had solid seasons as well.
Making a playoff run in their final season in Oakland would be a great story. It seems nearly impossible that they could pull off a run to the Super Bowl, but what a story that would be.
We will have to wait another week to see if magic happens and the Raiders find themselves in the playoffs. In the meantime, fans in Oakland are going to have a tough time sleeping. Hopefully, with a little luck, the Raiders will get into postseason play.