OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) -- They've shown they can win close games. They've demonstrated they can win on the road. This week, the Seattle Seahawks have something else to prove as they try to end the NFL's longest playoff drought.

Seattle (8-3) heads to AFC West rival Oakland (5-6) on Sunday determined to bounce back from its worst defeat of the season and overcome another of the psychological barriers that have haunted the Seahawks for a decade.

Seattle was feeling pretty good about itself heading into last weekend, sporting a five-game winning streak in which only one game had a margin closer than 10 points. But a 16-3 loss at home to Tampa Bay, in which Jon Kitna threw five interceptions and lost a fumble, rattled that sense of invincibility.

So, instead of looking ahead to a division title and the end of a playoff drought of 10 seasons, the Seahawks are trying to regroup against a Raiders team that has virtually fallen out of the playoff picture. Last-play losses the past two weeks against Denver and Kansas City have done in the Raiders.

"If we had been coming off a win and we were 9-2, I'd say things were pretty good and we'd be thinking about clinching the division," Kitna said. "But we need to get back on track. We're kind of back on our heels right now."

When first-year coach Mike Holmgren arrived in Seattle from Green Bay, one of his tasks was getting Seahawks players to believe they could win. He said a couple of one-point comeback victories early in the season, one at Chicago and the other a 22-21 win at home over the Raiders, helped establish that belief.

Now Holmgren wants to see how his team, 4-1 on the road this season, will rebound from the loss to Tampa Bay. The Seahawks knocked out Bucs starting quarterback Trent Dilfer, but were beaten by backup Shaun King.

"We played a stinker game last week," Holmgren said. "Now let's see how they handle this."

The Seahawks, who lead the NFL with 21 interceptions, are eager to put that Tampa Bay loss out of their memories.

"We're just trying to get that nasty taste out of our mouths," linebacker Darrin Smith said. "We're just focusing on winning this game."

The Raiders have not lost a game by more than seven points this season. Their inability to win close games and to protect fourth-quarter leads probably has doomed Oakland to a sixth straight season out of the playoffs.

Cornerback Charles Woodson was asked whether it was still realistic to think about the playoffs.

"No," he said. "Not losing games like we're losing. We've been in every game and we have found a way to lose. No team going to the playoffs can do that. Now our season is dependent on other teams losing. We have to win out and we haven't proven we can win two or three in a row. At this point, it doesn't look good."

The Raiders spent much of this week worried about problems at quarterback and placekicker. Quarterback Rich Gannon strained his left thigh on a 19-yard scramble late in the loss to the Chiefs, and was restricted in practice this week.

Gannon, who still has not fully healed from a broken left wrist, has not missed any time this season because of the wrist injury and vowed to try to play against Seattle. If he cannot play, Bobby Hoying will get his first start for the Raiders.

Michael Husted has missed crucial kicks in each of the last two losses, including a 44-yarder in the closing minutes against the Chiefs. The Raiders auditioned two other kickers this week, but stuck with Husted.

"It doesn't matter who they bring in. All I can do is worry about myself, whether they bring in one guy or 20 guys," Husted said. "As a kicker, you have to get used to the fact that you can be replaced."Seahawks last year.

SEATTLE Season schedule and results

OAKLAND Season schedule and results

September 12 Detroit L 20-28 September 19 @Chicago W 14-13 September 26 @Pittsburgh W 29-10 October 3 Oakland W 22-21 October 17 @San Diego L 10-13 October 24 Buffalo W 26-16 November 1 @Green Bay W 27-7 November 7 Cincinnati W 37-20 November 14 Denver W 20-17 November 21 @Kansas City W 31-19 November 28 Tampa Bay L 3-16 December 5 @Oakland 4:15pm ET December 12 San Diego 4:05pm ET December 19 @Denver 4:15pm ET December 26 Kansas City 4:05pm ET January 2 @NY Jets 1:00pm ET

September 12 @Green Bay L 24-28 September 19 @Minnesota W 22-17 September 26 Chicago W 24-17 October 3 @Seattle L 21-22 October 10 Denver L 13-16 October 17 @Buffalo W 20-14 October 24 NY Jets W 24-23 October 31 Miami L 9-16 November 14 San Diego W 28-9 November 22 @Denver L 21-27 November 28 Kansas City L 34-37 December 5 Seattle 4:15pm ET December 9 @Tennessee 8:20pm ET December 19 Tampa Bay 4:05pm ET December 26 @San Diego 4:05pm ET January 2 @Kansas City 1:00pm ET

Records source: STATS, Inc.

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