HOUSTON -- For the Oakland Raiders to be considered playoff contenders, they need to fix their defense. Simply put, they could not get a stop against the Houston Texans when it mattered most in the fourth quarter. And as a result, a golden opportunity for the Silver and Black to win a key AFC game was lost.
With a win, the Raiders could have considered themselves legitimate playoff contenders, with tiebreakers over the Texans and the Indianapolis Colts, two teams they figure to be battling with for a wild-card spot.
Instead, Houston dominated the time of possession in the final quarter and the Raiders lost 27-24 to fall to 3-4 on the season.