How Raiders Can End the Season on a High Note

The Las Vegas Raiders have one goal in mind on Sunday when they face the Kansas City Chiefs.

Analyzing the Raiders' Chances in Week 18

The Raiders have not done much this season to garner much respect when it comes to game day decisions. They will soon have the chance to initiate a much-needed roster, and potential, head coaching change.

Las Vegas faces an uphill battle against the Chiefs, even though they will be without Patrick Mahomes. The Raiders enter Sunday's game as one of the most injured teams in the league. However, a loss helps the Raiders. Tom Blair of NFL.com believes the Raiders will lose.

“Somewhere in an alternate reality, I'm deciding to back the Raiders as they push for a wild-card spot while the Chiefs rest up for another playoff run. Instead, in our universe, I'm weighing what to do with this weird, swirling brew of disappointment,” Blair said.

“Going back to Week 9, these teams have a combined record of 1-16, which helps explain why the Chiefs are currently in line to potentially make a top-10 draft pick for the third time in the Andy Reid era -- and the first time since they moved up for Patrick Mahomes in 2017. It's a sign of how sour this year has turned for Kansas City that their proximity to Vegas in the draft order is less surreal than the fact that one of the Raiders' two wins came against the Patriots in Week 1.

Blair noted that the Chiefs are better than their record. Some could say the same about the Raiders, who have close losses to the Chicago Bears, Jacksonville Jaguars, and Houston Texans. Las Vegas lost to the Bears and Jaguars by one point. They lost to the Texans by two points.

Still, almost does not count in the National Football League. The Raiders have lost 14 of their past 15 games, including 10 consecutive losses. The Chiefs may not be at full strength, but Blair believes they are still the better team. This is good news for Las Vegas' draft hopes this offseason.

“And yet, I still see the Chiefs as being better than their record, with their rankings in EPA per play (10th on offense, 14th on defense) and a rash of one-score losses (they have eight, tied for the most in the NFL) painting the picture of a team that could be closer to .500," Blair said.

“That does not describe the Raiders, whose overwhelmingly negative point differential (-193) is already tied for the third-worst mark since the expansion to 17-game seasons in 2021. I'm comfortable rolling with the Chiefs, regardless of how many backup QBs are involved."

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