There are three games being played on Thanksgiving. The first two had ramifications for the Raiders. Neither of them went the way they would have hoped.
The first game was the Lions vs Bears. The Raiders own the Bears’ first-round pick this year as the second part of the Khalil Mack trade, so the more games the Bears lose, the better draft pick the Raiders figure to get.
So, of course the Bears beat the Lions to improve to 6-6 on the season. That keeps the Bears well in the playoff hunt. Prior to the game the Bears were in line for the 13th overall pick. Now they could possibly be outside the top 20 depending on what happens with Sundays games.
The second game of the day was the Bills vs Cowboys. The Bills were already in line for an AFC wild-card playoff spot. They beat the Cowboys to improve to 9-3, ensuring they will finish with a winning record.
Right now the Raiders sit at 6-5, just outside the playoff bubble, but in the hunt. A Bills loss would have helped up the odds of grabbing one of those wildcard spots. Instead, they distanced themselves.
The third game of the day features the Saints and Falcons. The results of those doesn’t appear to have any impact on the Raiders.
