Some games have already been played week 17, including three games on Wednesday and Thursday and three which were flexed to Saturday.
Of the three Saturday games, only one went the way the Raiders would have wanted — the Bengals beat the Broncos. But the other two weren’t great for the Raiders. The Chargers put a beatdown on the lowly Patriots and the Rams beat the Cardinals. You want the Patriots to get a win and the Chargers to lose for strength of schedule reasons. You want the Rams to lose for the same reason.
Those game results actually raised the Raiders Strength of Schedule from .544 to .547, keeping them at sixth in the draft order.
The Raiders game will be Sunday in New Orleans, but that’s not the only game Raiders fans should be focusing on Sunday.
Here are the other games Raiders fans should feel some kind of way about because they could affect where the Raiders end up selecting atop the 2025 NFL Draft.
November 5, 2023; Paradise, Nevada, USA; New York Giants tight end Daniel Bellinger (82) runs the football against Las Vegas Raiders cornerback Nate Hobbs (39) during the fourth quarter at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
Root for: Giants
The Giants (2-13) are the only team with a worse record than the Raiders (3-12) and they are also the only team currently in the top six projected draft order with a higher Strength of Schedule. Which means if they win, they would drop out of the projected top spot and all the way to six, behin the Raiders.
Odds: Colts -7.5
News: Colts starting QB Anthony Richardson has been ruled OUT for the game, which would seem to give the Giants a chance. He will be replaced by 39-year-old Joe Flacco.
PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA – OCTOBER 20: Davante Adams #17 of the New York Jets reacts during the first quarter against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Acrisure Stadium on October 20, 2024 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Joe Sargent/Getty Images)
Root for: NY Jets
The Jets are sitting at 4-11 on the season, which means if they lose this week and the Raiders beat the Saints, the Jets will be in line for a higher pick. While a win by the Jets would lower their pick in the third round which the Raiders own, the top of the draft is far more important. Not that is matters much because the Jets would figure to have a snowball chance in Hell of taking out the Bills in Buffalo.
Odds: Bills -10
Dec 1, 2024; Charlotte,…
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