
Another week, another blowout loss.
After a humiliating 34-3 beatdown at the hands of the New York Jets in Week 12, the Raiders traveled to Kansas City and were dismantled 40-9 by Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs.
Oakland now stands in the No. 8 position in the playoff hunt, falling one spot from last week.
Stay in the game with the latest updates on your beloved Bay Area and California sports teams! Sign up here for our All Access Daily newsletter.
The Titans (7-5) leapfrog the Raiders after Oakland’s loss and Tennessee's win over the Colts, and will visit the Coliseum next week in a pivotal game for both sides.
Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens (10-2) took over the No. 1 spot by virtue of a close win over the 49ers and a Patriots loss. New England (10-2) slides to No. 2 as a late comeback attempt fell short for Tom Brady on Sunday Night Football. The Texans (8-4) hung on to the third spot after a primetime win over the Patriots, with the Chiefs (8-4) right behind them at No. 4.
The Bills (9-3) continue to occupy the fifth spot due to sharing a division with Brady and the Pats. Buffalo would battle Mahomes and the Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium if the postseason started today, while the Pittsburgh Steelers (7-5) -- after vanquishing division rival Cleveland on Sunday -- remain No. 6 and would head to the southwest for a date with Deshaun Watson and the Texans.
[RELATED: Jacobs identifies turning point in Raiders' big loss to Chiefs]
NFL
The Raiders have suffered major setbacks in back-to-back weeks, but are not eliminated from playoff contention by any stretch. Jon Gruden’s team simply has to recapture the winning ways that had Oakland riding a three-game win streak just a few weeks ago.
With games against the Titans, Jaguars, Chargers, and Broncos remaining, the Raiders don’t exactly have a murderer’s row of opponents lined up. A win over the Titans in Week 14 would propel Oakland back to the cusp of the playoffs, but Tennessee is the toughest-remaining opponent for the Raiders, so it won’t be a walk in the park.
Oakland has a chance to find its way into the postseason, but it will have to make a dramatic turnaround from the last two weeks in order to once again find themselves in the win column.