Believe it or not, the Las Vegas Raiders and their head coach Josh McDaniels still have a chance at redemption this season. That’s not a stretch either; the numbers back it up, actually. Last year’s Raiders had a full redemption arc that saw them come full circle after an eventful season. Is 2022 going to be a repeat? Part of the Raiders’ destiny lies in their hands, with a lot of help on the side.
Let’s face facts: the Los Angeles Rams had no business sneaking in a last-minute win against the Raiders. Unfortunately, McDaniels went too conservative way too early on Thursday. As a result, instead of closing out a decimated squad, McDaniels’ unit let the Rams hang around. The costly turnovers perpetrated by the Silver and Black also hurt the team. The self-inflicted wounds were too much to overcome, and alas, the season appeared to be over. Even so, if you take a step back, you’ll see that Las Vegas isn’t out of it yet.
The Raiders are still in the playoff equation, barely.
According to the New York Times and their playoff simulator, Las Vegas has to win out to have a chance. If they can accomplish that, technically, McDaniels and his squad have a 55 percent chance of making it in.
Before Raider Nation can get on board with this scenario, the New England Patriots are coming into Allegiant Stadium. They, too, are fighting for their playoff hopes. This unit is led by a familiar face in Bill Belichick. Is the pupil ready to surpass the master? So far in 2022, the team’s performance hasn’t painted a picture that inspires hope for Raiders fans. Nevertheless, winning on Sunday would be a good first step in keeping the dream alive. Are you still a believer at this point?