The Oakland Raiders are just one win away from clinching their first playoff berth in 13 years, but unfortunately lost sole possession of first place in the AFC West after last week's loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. The Silver and Black fell to a tough Chiefs squad under the bright lights of Arrowhead Stadium and slipped into one of the AFC Wild Card slots.
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Defensively the Raiders were able to force a trio of turnovers against a team that is known for protecting the football. Defensive end Khalil Mack continued to establish himself as a Defensive Player of the Year candidate with a strip sack for the second week in a row. Offensively, the team was unable to take advantage of opportunities, which played a role in the 21-13 loss, but will get back on track when they square off against the San Diego Chargers this Sunday at Qualcomm Stadium.
Let's take a look at the Oakland Raiders Week 15 power rankings, brought to you by NFL Extra Points.
Current Ranking: No. 4
Previous Ranking: No. 3
Movement: Down 1
Analysis: What a missed opportunity.
Oakland had a chance to seize control of the AFC West last Thursday night. Instead, it handed division control back to a traditional power.
How did the Raiders trip up? By failing to assert offensive dominance. Injured pinkie finger or no injured pinkie finger, Derek Carr has to make downfield throws for his offense to work. He failed to find Michael Crabtree and Amari Cooper behind Kansas City's big-play-susceptible secondary.
The defense played as well as it has all season. But Oakland might be kicking itself come postseason play.
Looking forward: San Diego is no slouch. Oakland has to bring its A-game or we might be talking about a late-season slump for the Silver and Black.
Current Ranking: No. 4
Previous Ranking: No. 3
Movement: Down 1
Analysis: Derek Carr posted a career-worst 9.4 Total QBR in Week 14 against the Chiefs. Why did Carr struggle so much? Was it his finger? The cold? The Chiefs' defense? We'll uncover some answers when the Raiders head to San Diego in Week 15.
Current Ranking: No. 4
Previous Ranking: No. 3
Movement: Down 1
Analysis: Tough, tough loss for the Raiders last Thursday -- big setback in the grand scheme of things. Oakland not only fell behind in the race for home-field, but they very well could be playing for a wild-card slot. That hasn't been determined yet, but there is quite a difference between being a No. 1 or 2 seed vs. being a wild card. Having the bye AND the Divisional Round home game is huge. The defeat in Kansas City wasn't the Raiders' best moment, but I stand behind my opinion of Derek Carr and Khalil Mack both being MVP candidates.
Current Ranking: No. 4
Previous Ranking: No. 3
Movement: Down 1
Analysis: Why didn't the Raiders run the ball more last week at Kansas City? They handed it off 28 times for 132 yards, which is good. Derek Carr threw 41 times in the freezing cold with a bad finger for 117 yards. I don't blame Carr. It was clear early on he was having trouble throwing in those conditions. It just wasn't a good game plan.
Current Ranking: No. 5
Previous Ranking: No. 2
Movement: Down 3
Analysis: Derek Carr's pinkie could make it hard for the Raiders to give the rest of the league the middle finger.
Current Ranking: No. 5
Previous Ranking: No. 3
Movement: Down 2
Analysis: The Raiders ran into a hot and outstanding Chiefs team, so it's hard to fault them for losing on the road. However, Derek Carr's finger injury is a bit concerning, as is their inability to play in the cold weather. Because of both of those factors, securing a first-round bye and a home playoff game will be huge for Oakland, which still has a shot at winning the West and a No. 2 seed.
Current Ranking: No. 5
Previous Ranking: No. 3
Movement: Down 2
Analysis: They lost at Kansas City, which likely means they will travel the wild-card route. Derek Carr was bad that night, but he will rebound.
Current Ranking: No. 4
Previous Ranking: No. 5
Movement: Up 1
Analysis: Not only has DE Khalil Mack collected at least one sack in eight consecutive games, he's forced a fumble in five of his past six outings.
