Graney: Resilient Raiders have playoff fate in their hands

There are 2 main reasons wherefore the Raiders stay live successful the playoff chase.

First, they person been resilient. It’s an overused connection successful sports, but it has defined this Raiders squad whose off-field play has made it hard to absorption connected existent football.

Whether it was the Jon Gruden resignation oregon the Henry Ruggs arrest oregon the Damon Arnette viral video, those wrong the locker country were dependable capable to compartmentalize and stay crystal wide connected the task astatine hand.

Then determination are the COVID-19 absences and the wounded issues of caller opponents. Both person greatly aided the Raiders’ precocious propulsion that has them 2 wins from securing a playoff spot for the archetypal clip since 2016 and conscionable the 2nd since 2002.

Win 2 and in

It each continues Sunday astatine Indianapolis, wherever 1 of the NFL’s hottest teams successful the Colts stands successful the mode of specified a playoff pursuit by the Raiders.

Should the Raiders triumph and past decision the Chargers astatine location adjacent week, they’re successful the tournament. That seemed altogether intolerable erstwhile they were losing 5 of six games and falling to 6-7 conscionable weeks ago.

“Emotionally, we’ve been done everything, for sure,” backmost Derek Carr said. “I person a batch of questions, similar wherefore definite things had to happen. But astatine the extremity of the day, similar we ever speech about, cipher cares.

“The information of the substance is, we person 2 games near and we request to triumph them. If we bash and get in, it would beryllium beauteous singular and amazing.”

The team’s enactment radical deserves praise for staying the course. It includes names similar Carr and Yannick Ngakoue and Josh Jacobs and Johnathan Hankins.

When it came clip — and determination were respective — for the Raiders to battalion things up and presumption this play arsenic yet different mislaid opportunity, the loudest voices successful the country refused for it to occur.

And past everyone did their part.

“I mean, it’s a squad game,” information Dallin Leavitt said. “Everyone had to conscionable bash their jobs by their ain actions each day. Be successful the value room, the movie room, enactment the squad first. It’s astir wins and losses, but you’re disquieted astir continuing to bash your occupation and being the champion teammate you tin be.”

Then determination is the portion astir who they Raiders person faced successful winning the past 2 games.

They beat the Browns 16-14 erstwhile Cleveland had 18 players — including 8 starters — retired due to the fact that of COVID. Nick Mullens played quarterback. Yeah. Big vantage to the winners.

The Raiders past beat the Broncos 17-13 erstwhile Denver started backup backmost Drew Lock successful spot of a concussed Teddy Bridgewater.

And now, the Colts.

And, specifically, backmost Carson Wentz.

‘Nobody has blinked’

The unvaccinated subordinate was placed connected the Reserve/COVID-19 database this week. It was thought helium would assuredly miss Sunday’s game. Until, that is, the league adopted caller protocols Tuesday by reducing mandated quarantines to 5 days for asymptomatic players.

We should cognize if Wentz is eligible to play precocious Saturday day oregon aboriginal Sunday, but recognize this: It’s the present-day NFL, wherever 106 players went connected the COVID database Monday. They each reportedly tested positive. This happening is spreading similar wildfire. Anything could inactive happen.

So if you hap to drawback a squad with aggregate cases and your chances of triumph improve, truthful beryllium it. If a subordinate arsenic important arsenic Wentz plays, aforesaid idea.

None of it changes the information that 2 wins means a playoff berth for the Raiders. A nonaccomplishment Sunday would either destruct them from contention oregon little their likelihood to minuscule. It would beryllium astute to support that aforesaid crystal wide absorption that has gotten them this acold — nary substance who’s connected the different side.

“Nobody has blinked,” interim caput manager Rich Bisaccia said. “We person gone done the tempest together. We each held the enactment erstwhile it’s bully and get connected to the adjacent time and amended erstwhile it’s not.”

There is simply a connection for that. Resilient.

Ed Graney is simply a Sigma Delta Chi Award victor for sports file penning and tin beryllium reached astatine egraney@reviewjournal.com oregon 702-383-4618. He tin beryllium heard connected “The Press Box,” ESPN Radio 100.9 FM and 1100 AM, from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m. Monday done Friday. Follow @edgraney connected Twitter.