Raiders face a brutal 3-game stretch that could make or break their playoff hopes

HENDERSON, Nev. (AP) — The Raiders already came through one gauntlet this season, losing four games in a row to teams that all could make legitimate arguments to be Super Bowl contenders.

Even after emerging from that series of games, Las Vegas coach Klint Kubiak said last week his team remained “in the hunt” for a playoff spot. A victory followed over the New York Jets on Sunday to get back to .500, and Kubiak's words seem especially timely.

But here comes another set of games against some more of the NFL's top teams that will decide whether the Raiders are true playoff contenders. The Raiders visit San Francisco on Sunday, then host Seattle and play at Denver.

“This is November football,” cornerback Eric Stokes said. “This is what you live for, this is what you want, especially 4-4 and everything still in our power. So this is exactly what we want coming up.”

For the Raiders to have a realistic chance to make the postseason, they likely would need to run the table against a trio of teams that are a combined 16-7. That includes the 4-4 Seahawks coming off a Super Bowl title in which Kubiak was their offensive coordinator .

“It is November,” left tackle Kolton Miller said. “This is really deciding every year, you're either going to get better or you're going to fall off. Every game's going to be a big test to what's ahead. That's in the back of your mind, but you have to put all your attention into winning week to week.”

Winning the next three games would put the Raiders at 7-4, and of the 27 teams with that record since the playoff field expanded from 12 to 14 teams in 2020, 23 made the postseason.

Anything less than that is especially bad news for Las Vegas — 11 of 29 teams at 6-5 have made the playoffs, seven of 23 at 5-6 and three of 30 at 4-7.

Which makes each week essentially a must-win.

“If you treat it that way, then you’ll have success throughout the season," Kubiak said. "So we just keep our blinders on and focus on one opponent at a time.”

The next opponent will be difficult enough when the two former Bay Area rivals meet this weekend. The 6-1 49ers are 9 1/2-point favorites.

But even as unlikely as a playoff berth appears to be at this point, it wouldn't be a discussion at all if Las Vegas hadn't rallied to beat the Jets.

“It was huge,” Stokes said. “Everybody knows that. We needed the (win) and we got it done.”

Should the Raiders pull off a trifecta over the next three weeks, it would be their third playoff appearance since making the Super Bowl in 2002 season.

Because of that general lack of success that includes 11 combined victories over the previous three years, this was considered a rebuilding season. At the center of that project is quarterback Fernando Mendoza, who was drafted No. 1 overall this year.

He has made one appearance this season. Kirk Cousins is the starter and has done little to lose his job . He is second in the NFL with 19 touchdown passes and the Raiders are sixth with 27.6 points per game.

Kubiak's comment about being in the hunt were related to his statement that Cousins is the starter and not Mendoza. Whether the Raiders go with Mendoza once/if the team is eliminated from the playoff race remains to be seen, but the club certainly isn't rushing him onto the field.

“From the ‘60s, I remember when quarterbacks would sit on the bench for three years before they got a shot to do it,” Raiders owner Mark Davis said on CNBC. “Today, there's a lot of pressure put on teams when they draft a guy No. 1 that you've got to play him right away. I think that's why we are so fortunate to get someone like Kirk Cousins as somebody that could bridge the gap and let this young man learn a lot about what football is in the pros.”

Second-year cornerback Darien Porter (groin), who was injured against the Jet, did not practice Wednesday. He has shared the position with rookies Hezekiah Masses and Jermod McCoy.

Defensive tackle Tonka Hemingway (stinger) was not given an injury designation.

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