There are only two three-win teams remaining this season. The Raiders and Arizona Cardinals have felt victory less than anyone, including a 49ers team that has two wins in as many weeks.
The 49ers took a step back in relation to the No. 1 overall pick with two straight quality performances.
The Raiders, by contrast, held serve with a disappointing performance against the Cincinnati Bengals.
Only in the interest of securing high draft picks is that a good thing. It's somewhat important considering the state of their other two first-round picks. They're way down in the draft order with the Bears winning the NFC North and Cowboys leading the NFC East.
In all, two draft pick slots improved, while another is stuck way down.
Let's take a look at where their draft order sits after Week 15 action:
No. 2 overall (Last week: No. 3)
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How it was earned: Owner Mark Davis joked that the Raiders are doing a fine job of securing a high pick on their own. He wasn't joking. The Raiders continue to lose at an alarming clip, which could set up a top-two pick if they lose out in games against the Denver Broncos and Kansas City Chiefs. One warning: they'll be locked into the No. 2 pick unless they pick up a game on Arizona.
The Cardinals own the strength of schedule tiebreaker that helps determine draft order, so they'd stay in front with a two-way tie at the bottom with the Raiders.
No. 24 overall (Last week: No. 24)
How it was earned: The Raiders got this pick by trading Amari Cooper to Dallas and it hasn't worked out well. It didn't get better even after the Cowboys saw their five-game winning streak end against Indianapolis. The Cowboys still have a great chance to win the NFC East, make the playoffs and keep this draft slot low.
No. 27 overall (Last week 26)
How it was earned: Khalil Mack dominated the Green Bay Packers with 2.5 sacks, stats integral to winning the NFC North. He has 12.5 on the season now, more than the entire Raiders team. Not rubbing it in, just point out a fact that has helped the Bears go from worst to first and drive the Mack's trade compensation value down.
