Are the Raiders gearing up for another late season collapse?

With the Las Vegas Raiders playing inconsistently, could their playoff hopes be over before the final month of action? 

Last Sunday night, Derek Carr dazzled. He danced behind his offensive line and extended plays. He hung in strong against the Kansas City Chiefs’ defense and connected for a 1-yard touchdown to give his team a lead with minutes to spare.

And if not for Patrick Mahomes leading a seven-play drive for 75 yards down the field for the score, Carr would have been the hero. The Raiders had earned the respect of the NFL after hanging strong with the Super Bowl favorites.

So, what happened Sunday down in Atlanta?

The Raiders struggled to generate any offense against the Falcons’ front seven. Carr completely collapsed under the pressure with limited success attack the end zone. In the end, what looked to be an easy win on paper for Las Vegas led to an embarrassing 43-6 loss.

https://twitter.com/AtlantaFalcons/status/1333152236583743488

Now at 6-5, every win becomes essential for the Raiders in the hunt for the postseason. And when looking at other team’s schedules, they could be the odd man out in the hunt for the final spot for the AFC.

Can the Raiders turn things around?

Carr finished 22-of-34 for 215 yards and averaged 6.3 yards per throw. Although he nabbed a stellar 36-yard spiral to the hands of rookie Henry Ruggs, it was the only solidified throw.

On the flip side, he has several passes he wished he could have back.

During the third quarter, Carr looked for running back Devontae Booker on a simple curl route up the middle. Late on the throw, all Deion Jones had to do was sit and wait before turning on the jets for a 67-yard touchdown return, giving the Falcons a 23-6 lead.

https://twitter.com/AtlantaFalcons/status/1333143752198778880

Carr also has three fumbles on the afternoon, losing all of them and seeing each go in the opposite direction for positive points in favor of the Dirty Birds.

The Raiders also saw their first-round cornerback Damon Arnette Jr. leave for concussion protocol early. Sure, the team forced four fumbles, but never recovered a single one. Matt Ryan wasn’t perfect, but he did throw a pair of touchdowns with 185 yards on the afternoon. And once in the red zone, Younghoe Koo was a perfect 5-of-5 to tack on 15 points.

The Cleveland Browns struggled against Jacksonville but improved to 8-3. Miami saw little success without Tua Tagovailoa, but they improved to 7-4 against the winless Jets. Meanwhile, even though the Indianapolis Colts fell short at home to the Tennessee Titans, they remain a game ahead in the AFC postseason picture as the No.7 seed.

Barley hanging on to a .500 record, Las Vegas now has to beat a pair of contenders in Miami and Indianapolis, plus a decent Chargers team to make it into the postseason. Can they grab three wins against pissed off clubs that also need wins to stay alive?

This late in the season, every win counts. When it’s all said and done, this could be the reason Sin City is stuck at home sulking in January.