For now, at least, the Oakland Raiders are leading the rest of the NFL in one category: worst record.
Coming off a 52-0 loss to the Rams and holding a 1-11 record, the Raiders seem to be a lock to earn the No. 1 selection in the 2015 NFL Draft.
By losing to the 49ers this Sunday at O.co Coliseum, then to the Chiefs in Kansas City, Buffalo at home and the Broncos in Denver, the Raiders would finish with 1-15 record and position themselves to be first in line at the collegiate talent bar next spring.
But if the Raiders come up with a single victory over the final month, they could slip all the way to fifth in the draft.
The Raiders are the NFL’s only one-victory team, but it’s a “good” year for bad teams. Four other franchises have only two victories: the Tampa Bay Bucs, Jacksonville Jaguars, Tennessee Titans and New York Jets.
If those teams lose out and the Raiders win one game to create five 2-14 teams, the Raiders would draft fifth instead of first because they have played a stronger schedule than the others this season (the AFC West was matched up against the strong NFC West), which is the first tiebreaker.
However, with the way the Raiders are playing and the fact their remaining opponents all are winning teams fighting for playoff spots, the Raiders seem to have the easiest path to the No. 1 pick in the next draft.
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If this is the year for the Raiders to hit rock bottom, they might as well get something to show for it, right? General manager Reggie McKenzie would be able to add some premium talent to the roster for a second consecutive season and give frustrated owner Mark Davis (and his team’s fan base) some hope.
Over the final four games, this is how the five teams’ opponents line up:
Raiders: 49ers (7-5), Chiefs (7-5), Buffalo (7-5), Denver (9-3). The Raiders have by far the strongest schedule remaining among the five worst teams, with a combined opponent record of 30-18. It’s hard to see the Raiders winning one of these games.
Bucs: Lions (8-4), Panthers (3-8-1), Packers (9-3), Saints (5-7). Tampa Bay seemingly has a winnable game on its schedule vs. Carolina. Its combined opponent record is 25-22-1
Jaguars: Texans (6-6), Ravens (7-5), Titans (2-10), Texans (6-6). The combined record of Jacksonville’s opponents is just 21-27, with a very winnable game vs. Tennessee remaining.
Titans: Giants (3-9), Jets (2-10), Jaguars (2-10), Colts (8-4). Tennessee has the easiest road to another victory with only one opponent remaining with a winning record. Its opponents are just 15-33.
Jets: Vikings (5-7), Titans (2-10), Patriots (9-3) Dolphins (7-5). The Jets face two losing teams down the stretch. Their opponents have a combined mark of 23-25.
