Raiders look to keep playoff hopes alive against Steelers
There is a term poker players use to describe the belief they can still win a tournament despite being extremely short-stacked with the odds firmly against them.
“Chip and a chair” is apropos to the Raiders’ situation with three games to play.
As long as they haven’t been officially eliminated from playoff contention, the Raiders (6-8) still have a chip in front of them and a seat at the table, keeping their postseason hopes alive.
“All you want is a chance to keep competing for goals,” quarterback Derek Carr said. “That’s something that any competitor would ever ask for is just a chance.”
The Raiders understand they are down to their final big blind and essentially will be tasked with pushing all-in every week for the rest of the season. Nearly every scenario that would see them qualify for one of the AFC’s three wild-card berths involves them winning their final three games and getting help from a combination of other teams.
That three-game stretch starts with Saturday night’s national TV game at the Pittsburgh Steelers (6-8).
“We have to just take care of our business,” defensive end Maxx Crosby said. “You can’t overthink everything else that’s going on or think about who has to lose or whatever, but at the end of the day, if we win, we give ourselves a chance. We work all year round to give ourselves a chance to be in the conversation at this time of year. We wish we could have made it easier on ourselves, but it doesn’t matter now. That’s in the past. We just have to take it one day at a time and continue to improve.”
As Crosby alluded to, the Raiders are in this position largely because of their inability to finish games or string together quality performances. They have squandered more than their fair share of opportunities late in games, though they did get a massive break when the Patriots folded last week when it looked as if the Raiders were potentially drawing dead.
The Raiders also can take solace in the fact that they put together a three-game winning streak earlier this season, so there is precedent.
Carr also pointed out the team faced similarly long odds last season when they needed to win the final four games and get help to make the playoffs, and everything fell into place.
That experience taught him the importance of concentrating on the task immediately at hand.
“I’m just trying so hard to focus on the Steelers because I know that if we take care of business, then we focus on the next one,” Carr said. “It’s not going to be easy. We’ve got a tough team that we’ve got to go to their place.”
The Raiders need to win out and have either the Chargers or Dolphins lose two of their final three games. Then they would need several other teams, including the Patriots, to lose at least once in the final three weeks.
Many Raiders fans can reel off every possible circumstance, and the odds say there is better than a 50 percent chance that everything falls into place should the Raiders win out.
“I just know we have to win,” center Andre James said. “I literally don’t know the scenarios.”
Still having the possibility is all that matters to him for now.
“It’s everything,” he said. “We’re striving every day for that opportunity, so to say there’s still a chance puts a little juice underneath you when you come to work. It lights that fire, so we’re excited for just the opportunity to be able to do that.”
The Raiders might not have the best hand at the table, but all of their chips are going into the middle of the table beginning Saturday.
Contact Adam Hill at ahill@reviewjournal.com. Follow @AdamHillLVRJ on Twitter.
Raiders' keys to victory
1. Handle the conditions
Raiders coach Josh McDaniels was accurate when he said his team is playing the Steelers, not the weather. It's going to be extremely cold and almost certainly windy, but those factors will be the same for both teams. It's important to not let the forecast dominate the team's preparations. But it's also important to acknowledge the impact those conditions will have on the game. In cases of inclement weather, the team that manages the conditions the best is often the one that emerges victorious.
2. Handle the emotions
This game was strategically scheduled for this weekend as a way to commemorate the 50th anniversary of one of the most infamous plays in NFL history, the "Immaculate Reception." That still will be the case, but the focus has turned to a celebration of the life of Steelers legend Franco Harris, who died Wednesday. It will be a emotional day for the franchise and the city. The Raiders must be ready to match that intensity from the opening kickoff.
3. Handle the ball
This very well could be a battle of field position. If the sustained wind is 20 mph with gusts over 40 mph as anticipated, it might be difficult to generate much in terms of the vertical passing game. Runs and short throws are likely to be the preferred method of moving the ball, but any turnover or massive blunder could change the game when points are at a premium. Ball carriers will need to pay extra attention to securing the ball even if their hands are freezing.
Adam Hill Las Vegas Review-Journal
