CHUCKY is alive.
Hovering on life support, mind you, instead of brimming with good health but in the NFL’s last home-and-away weekend that is enough. Chucky, of course, is Oakland Raiders coach Jon Gruden given his leering grin and resemblance to that demonic character from Child’s Play.
And as the NFL’s regular season approaches its final week, a team headed for Las Vegas next year could just be signing off with an audacious playoff bid. Gruden’s Raiders took care of business in a 24-17 win over the hapless Los Angeles Chargers to keep those hopes alive entering Sunday’s suite of games.
Those clashes saw Pittsburgh hand over a golden playoff chance, the Cincinnati Bengals take the No.1 overall pick and the Philadelphia Eagles snatch back the NFL East divisional lead.
Can the Raiders win the SuperBowl?
Not a hope in hell?
But before we consider who can beat the New England Patriots defence we need to consider who fills the final two playoff spots, with 10 of 12 already locked in.
In the AFC, an Oakland team many had believed were marking time before that move to Sin City are still hanging in there. Next week Derek Carr’s Raiders need to beat Denver, see Houston beat Tennessee, witness the Ravens roll over Pittsburgh and have Indianapolis beat the Jacksonville Jaguars.
If all that goes to plan, they steal a wildcard spot and the 6th seed in the AFC.
Gruden moved from the lucrative commentary box position to accept a 10-year, $100 million deal and traded away enough talent (Khalil Mack, Amari Cooper) that everyone knew he was playing the Vegas long game instead of trying to win early.
In the AFC, the Baltimore Ravens’ 31-15 win not only sewed up home-field advantage as the AFC East champions, they knocked Cleveland out of playoff contention.
New England wore down playoff-bound Buffalo to clinch an 11th consecutive division title, but the 11-4 Kansas City can still leapfrog them to steal the week one bye.
But it is at the bottom of the AFC where things get interesting.
Tennessee holds the final playoff spot but needs to beat Houston or cheer for a Pittsburgh loss against a Baltimore team which has no incentive to play its starters given it is locked into the one seed. If Houston and Pittsburgh lose, Oakland can still find a way in through a specific for one of the more audacious last-gasp playoff berths in recent memory.
ACROSS in the NFC, the Philadelphia Eagles just won’t stop believing. Three weeks ago the 2017-18 SuperBowl champions were dead and buried but they now have control of their own destiny. Their huge Sunday afternoon victory over the Dallas Cowboys pushed them to 8-7 and means they only need to beat the New York Giants to clinch their division ahead of America’s team.
Two years ago they dethroned the Patriots in that famous SuperBowl victory with backup Nick Foles, but with Carson Wentz under centre again this year their fans expected the world. They were seemingly shot after a mid-season trio of losses to the Patriots, Seahawks and battling Miami, before turning it around against the Giants, Redskins and Cowboys in a decisive 17-9 victory this weekend. Wentz, injured in the past two playoffs campaigns, is throwing to a battery of little-known wide receivers given the Eagles’ injury concerns but surely will get it done against the Redskins. Elite tight end Zach Ertz fractured a rib in the weekend win but kept on playing, but while the Eagles are banged up who would count on Dallas winning anyway.
Washington’s rookie quarterback Dwayne Haskins won’t play because of a high ankle sprain suffered during one of his best games for the year, and if the Cowboys don’t get it done the certain sacking of coach Jason Garrett is only expedited.
So buckle up for a wild weekend of football a week ahead of wildcard weekend, as Oakland prays for a miracle and the contenders watch on to see if the Eagles can become one of the most dangerous floaters in the playoffs.
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