3 teams screwed over the most by NFL’s COVID-19 schedule changes

The Las Vegas Raiders cannot lose to the Cleveland Browns amid their outbreak

Without question, the NFL team most behind the eight-ball when it comes to the Week 15 mid-week reschedulings due to COVID are the Las Vegas Raiders. They were slated to take on the Cleveland Browns in Northeast Ohio on Saturday evening. Instead, the game has been pushed back to 5:00 p.m. ET on Monday. Not only are they in a holding pattern, but it is a must-win game.

The Raiders are 6-7 on the year and are holding on for dear life if they want to reach the playoffs as a Wild Card team. They are not catching the red-hot Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC West. Though there are pathways for them eking out wins in their final three games of the season vs. the Denver Broncos, the Indianapolis Colts and the Los Angeles Chargers, they have to beat Cleveland or else.

It may be on the road, but the Browns are the worst team left Las Vegas will face. Getting that head-to-head tiebreaker could be huge come early January. While the Raiders probably need to finish 9-8 to have any shot of getting in, that is not realistic if they lose an incredibly winnable one at Cleveland. It will not be official, but it will be season over if the Raiders do lose to the Browns.

A cross-country flight to face a team battling COVID in a must-win game followed by a short week could create one massive problem for the Raiders heading into the final three games of the season.