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It’s Week 8, and these teams are already face must-win games

By Mike Phillips

CHICAGO, IL - OCTOBER 20: Chicago Bears quarterback Mitchell Trubisky (10) looks on as he comes off the field in game action during a game between the Chicago Bears and the New Orleans Saints on October 20, 2019 at Soldier Field in Chicago, IL. (Photo by Robin Alam/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
CHICAGO, IL - OCTOBER 20: Chicago Bears quarterback Mitchell Trubisky (10) looks on as he comes off the field in game action during a game between the Chicago Bears and the New Orleans Saints on October 20, 2019 at Soldier Field in Chicago, IL. (Photo by Robin Alam/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /
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GREEN BAY, WISCONSIN – OCTOBER 20: Derek Carr #4 of the Oakland Raiders looks to pass during a game against the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field on October 20, 2019 in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers defeated the Raiders 42-24. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)
GREEN BAY, WISCONSIN – OCTOBER 20: Derek Carr #4 of the Oakland Raiders looks to pass during a game against the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field on October 20, 2019 in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers defeated the Raiders 42-24. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images) /

4. Oakland Raiders

The middle class of the AFC is a complete and utter mess. While New England and Kansas City appear to be playoff locks, there is a ton of parity in the race for the conference’s wild card berths.

The door has swung wide open for the Oakland Raiders, who are now the second best team in the AFC West with the Los Angeles Chargers in complete free fall. The Raiders are still in the midst of a six-week stretch away from Oakland, but they have done good work in it, picking up wins over the Colts and Bears in the process.

Oakland crashed back to Earth last Sunday, when the Green Bay Packers torched them at Lambeau Field to send the Raiders back to .500. Aaron Rodgers played the game of his life in that one, throwing five touchdown passes and becoming the first Packers’ quarterback to ever have a perfect passer rating.

The Raiders will need to brush off that loss quickly as they have another road trip on the docket. This time Oakland will be heading into Houston to take on a Texans’ team that has looked like world beaters in one week and a dysfunctional mess the next.

This contest is huge in the wild card standings, and Oakland could gain a big tiebreaker advantage with a win over the Texans on Sunday. The key to this game could be the Raiders’ ability to generate pressure on Deshaun Watson, who is already working without one of his best weapons as Will Fuller is out with a hamstring injury.

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