Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Derek Carr, in discussing his club's playoff chances after losing five of its last six games, subconsciously (we think) channeled the Dumb & Dumber character.
"I think that for us to know that we're still right there and we have four AFC teams that we play, two in the division," Carr said Tuesday, . "It's not going to be easy, but you're telling me that we have a chance. The way that we've come to work is we do have a chance and that's a fact. But we have to win football games. That's all that matters."
After starting the season 5-2, the Raiders have crumbled after their bye week, going 1-5 to fall to 6-7 and into the AFC's No. 12 seed with four games to play.
ąú˛úÍâÁ÷ÍřNetwork analytics expert Cynthia Frelund's latest projections give the Raiders a 0.1 percent chance to win the AFC West and a 4.4 percent chance to make the playoffs. Of all the AFC clubs not already eliminated from contention, Las Vegas has the longest odds to see postseason action.
The unfavorable odds don't have Carr discouraged.
"It's a week-to-week league that's for sure because one day they love you and the next they hate you," Carr said. "If anyone knows that, I know that. But letting our team know that, to keep that mindset. Look, it doesn't matter if we win by a whole bunch of points or if we lose by a whole bunch of points, you win by a close game or lose by a close game, you always move on to the next game. I know it's hard for people to comprehend, but that's why we do what we do. That's why we're in the positions that we're in because we have to compartmentalize a win or a loss, flush it and move on to the next thing."
The next thing for the Raiders is a Saturday afternoon affair against a COVID-19-ravaged Cleveland Browns squad on ąú˛úÍâÁ÷ÍřNetwork. A victory would keep hope alive in Vegas ahead of big matchups against the Broncos (7-6), Colts (7-6), and Chargers (8-5) to close the season.
To make the postseason, it's simple for the Raiders: Just win, baby!
