Oakland Raiders: 3 Bold predictions vs. Chargers, Week 16
By Steve Rivera
The Oakland Raiders need a big Week 16 performance against the equally hapless Los Angeles Chargers if there is even the slimmest hope of making the playoffs.
The Oakland Raiders are completely sideways. Following a three-game winning streak, the Silver and Black managed to squander opportunity and goodwill, especially after self-inflicted wounds led to a loss against a bad Jacksonville Jaguars team. Against the Jags in Week 15, the Raiders lost their home final, 16-20, and likely any opportunity to make the playoffs.
It’s a lot of bad news for a team that looked to be on the rise. Now at 6-8, a finish of .500 with two games on the road might be a reach. Even if it’s a reach though, it’s still not impossible if the Raiders are able to recapture some of that midseason magic.
Lost in the downward trend is the likelihood quarterback Derek Carr is playing for a job in Las Vegas. Head coach Jon Gruden, who often has a short leash with his quarterbacks, looks to be nearing the end of his patience with Carr.
Oakland/Las Vegas has picks in the 2020 NFL Draft that could yield Carr’s replacement. Whether playing for his Raiders job or not, he’s now facing a two-game audition for his NFL future.
With the Raiders at 6-8 and the Chargers at 5-9, the luster is gone from what was one of the best rivalries in all of football. With the San Diego Chargers now in LA and the Raiders heading to Vegas, two great charter members of the AFL look to be someplace fans never expected.
As they face off on Sunday, let’s make three bold predictions for Oakland’s next-to-last hurrah while representing the Bay Area.