DENVER — Gnash your teeth all you want over tough losses to Houston and Jacksonville in imagining what could have been for the 2019 Oakland Raiders.
As it stands, if everything breaks perfectly Sunday on the road against the Denver Broncos, the Raiders could sneak to the playoffs as the No. 6 seed despite those two losses and get in at 8-8 instead of a more comfortable 10-6.
Even if the Raiders don’t get in, foiled by a confusing but still semi-reasonable scenario among other contenders, going from 4-12 to 8-8 would be a big step forward as the Raiders move to Las Vegas for the 2020 season.