Oakland Raiders: What Defines A Successful December?

October 6, 2013; Oakland, CA, USA; Oakland Raiders defensive end Lamarr Houston (99) celebrates after sacking San Diego Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers (17 not pictured) as cornerback Tracy Porter (23) looks on during the second quarter at O.co Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

There are no moral victories in professional sports, you either WIN or you LOSE, it’s simple. Unfortunately, the Oakland Raiders have not defined a winning season in over a decade, and unsurprisingly, the drought will not cease this season. The Raiders have officially erased their chances of a winning season after a disappointing second-half collapse on Thanksgiving day (4-8), resulting in a 31-24 loss to the Dallas Cowboys. Now the million dollar question is, what can they possibly do now to keep the season a distinct upgrade from last year’s catastrophe?

Last season, Oakland finished at 4-12, ergo they certainly want to conclude this year with a superior record. Thankfully, the Raiders are headed into week 14 to face the reeling New York Jets. The Jets are currently riding on a three game losing streak, and their rookie signal caller Geno Smith has been struggling heartily. Even though the defense of the Raiders has partaken in abysmal performances latterly, especially late in the game, I foresee the defense prevailing against a rookie led offense that has been eminently unsteady over the entirety of the season.

I suggest you put down whatever you are doing on Sunday morning, and tune it to this Raiders-Jets match-up, because you could not measure the monstrosity of this game. It is a must win game if Dennis Allen wants to assuredly avoid a consecutive four win season, and persevere as the Raiders head coach.

There’s been questions all over the place about whether Allen would be back next season as the head coach of the Raiders. If he is unable to win at least one more game from here on out, Marc Davis may decide to part ways with the youngster. It’s an extremely pivotal game, considering the Raiders are scheduled to face Kansas City, San Diego, and Denver the last three weeks. Oakland seems to play well against San Diego, as they defeated them earlier in the season, although a successful December will be defined by a win or a loss to the New York Jets. It’s a very winnable game.

A layout of an ideal December for the Raiders would be to defeat the Jets, continue to compete against high-caliber postseason teams such as Kansas City and Denver, and grind out another win against San Diego. Furthermore, a successful finish will be derived from the result of the game against the Jets.

If there’s something to be buoyant about after 12 games, it’s the undeniable increase of competitiveness compared to last season. Yes, the Raiders are a dispiriting 4-8, though they have been able to compete virtually every week regardless of who the match-up appears to be. Reggie McKenzie did a tremendous job acquiring a number of serviceable-good pieces to the team during the offseason, particularly on the defensive side, but Oakland clearly continues to suffer from talent deficiency.\n