Oakland Raiders fans got a dose of hope last season when, under a dynamic new coach, Jack Del Rio, their longtime moribund team finished 7-9, a sharp improvement after 4-12, 4-12 and 3-13 seasons. Still, it was their 13th straight year without a trip to the N.F.L. playoffs.
Oddsmakers made the Raiders a 40-1 shot to win the Super Bowl this season, the same as the Jets (who are 3-7) and the Jaguars (2-8).
But defying expectations, the Raiders have taken the league by storm. After Monday night’s 27-20 victory over the Texans in Mexico City, they are 8-2 and need just one win in their final six for their first winning record since 2002.