NFL playoff picture: Where Raiders stand in AFC after loss vs. Chiefs

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Another week, another blowout loss.

After a humiliating 34-3 beatdown at the hands of the New York Jets in Week 12, the Raiders traveled to Kansas City and were dismantled 40-9 by Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs.

Oakland now stands in the No. 8 position in the playoff hunt, falling one spot from last week.

The Titans (7-5) leapfrog the Raiders after Oakland’s loss and Tennessee's win over the Colts, and will visit the Coliseum next week in a pivotal game for both sides.

Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens (10-2) took over the No. 1 spot by virtue of a close win over the 49ers and a Patriots loss. New England (10-2) slides to No. 2 as a late comeback attempt fell short for Tom Brady on Sunday Night Football. The Texans (8-4) hung on to the third spot after a primetime win over the Patriots, with the Chiefs (8-4) right behind them at No. 4.

The Bills (9-3) continue to occupy the fifth spot due to sharing a division with Brady and the Pats. Buffalo would battle Mahomes and the Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium if the postseason started today, while the Pittsburgh Steelers (7-5) -- after vanquishing division rival Cleveland on Sunday -- remain No. 6 and would head to the southwest for a date with Deshaun Watson and the Texans.

[RELATED: Jacobs identifies turning point in Raiders' big loss to Chiefs]

The Raiders have suffered major setbacks in back-to-back weeks, but are not eliminated from playoff contention by any stretch. Jon Gruden’s team simply has to recapture the winning ways that had Oakland riding a three-game win streak just a few weeks ago.

With games against the Titans, Jaguars, Chargers, and Broncos remaining, the Raiders don’t exactly have a murderer’s row of opponents lined up. A win over the Titans in Week 14 would propel Oakland back to the cusp of the playoffs, but Tennessee is the toughest-remaining opponent for the Raiders, so it won’t be a walk in the park.

Oakland has a chance to find its way into the postseason, but it will have to make a dramatic turnaround from the last two weeks in order to once again find themselves in the win column.

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