Oakland Raiders v Houston Texans: A Few Last Minute Keys To A Wild Card Win

The Oakland Raiders are in Houston to take on the Texans in the Wild Card game missing some of the key cogs of their machine – but they may still have enough to pull out a win.

It’s far from ideal – and it seems like it’s getting even further from even remotely acceptable the closer the Oakland Raiders get to game time in Houston. Already missing franchise quarterback Derek Carr, the Raiders won’t have Pro Bowl left tackle Donald Penn available to keep Houston’s rushers off Connor Cook‘s back.

But wait, there’s more!

Defensive end Mario Williams Jr. Is a late add to the injury report with an illness that may or may not keep him out of the game. You have to believe though, that if he’s not lying in bed, hooked up to an IV, that Williams is going to be out there.

Despite the plethora of bad news though, there is still reason for optimism, believe it or not. There is still reason to believe that these Raiders can notch their first playoff win in a decade and a half.

Stop laughing. We’re serious.

The optimism and excitement that fueled the Raiders to a 12-4 record this year seems to have evaporated from many corners. Across social media, people are lamenting what they believe is an impending playoff loss and consoling themselves with the fact that the Raiders did go 12-4 and looked really good this year.

But how about we play the game first? Oakland may come up on the short end of the stick, but it’s not yet a certainty. There are still 60 minutes of football to be played to determine a winner. So, let’s look at a few keys to a Raiders win today…