PRO FOOTBALL DAILY REPORT : RAIDERS : Streak Puts Them Closer to First-Round Playoff Bye

Because of Houston’s loss to the Philadelphia Eagles Monday night, the Raiders have moved back into position for a possible first-round playoff bye.

Under the revised NFL playoff format adopted last season, only the divisional winners with the two best records receive a bye. The divisional winner with the third-best record must play the worst wild-card entrant in a first-round game.

A month ago, the Oilers and the Buffalo Bills seemed certain to finish with the AFC’s top two records. But the Oilers have slipped to 9-4, same as the Raiders.

Assuming the Raiders win the AFC West title, no small chore, they would still have to finish with a better won-lost record than Houston to avoid a first-round game.

Why? Because Houston would win the tiebreaking procedure on the strength of its opening-day victory over the Raiders.

Coach Art Shell likes the idea of bringing 250-pound tailback Nick Bell into the game in the second half, after using a first-half combination of Roger Craig and Marcus Allen.

“You get the niftiness early, then all of a sudden there’s a big boomer coming in at you,” Shell said.