Cleveland, Ohio - The Las Vegas Raiders kept their playoff hopes alive on Monday night after taking the Cleveland Browns to the last second and sneaking out with a much-needed win.

The Raiders beat the Browns on the road 16-14, avoiding a three-game skid in the process.

With both teams needing to win to hold on to any chances for a playoff berth, the squad that came away victorious got to keep their slim, but possible postseason odds intact.

The game was a hard-fought contest. Despite the Raiders building a 10-point lead over the first two quarters, the Browns kept the action close enough so that a couple of drives could have easily put them on top.

In the third quarter, Cleveland finally found the end zone to pull within three points, but then Vegas jumped back up by six when they opened the fourth quarter with a field goal.

The Browns would eventually respond with a second touchdown to finally take a 14-13 lead with under four minutes to play in regulation.

The Raiders were lucky enough to have the ball in the closing seconds, driving down the field close enough to set up a 48-yard field goal that was booted right down the middle for a Vegas victory.

After such a gritty, low-scoring game with a lot at stake, Raiders placekicker Daniel Carlson (26) earned the right to take the spotlight on Monday night.

Every time his team was up to score a few points, Carlson was perfect from all three distances he attempted, each longer than the one before it.

He finished the night 3-for-3 kicking for a team-high nine points, including the Raiders' game-winning 48-yarder.

Even though the Raiders had to wait two extra days to play this game, they were ready for battle, doing what they had to do to stay alive.

They are now 10th in the AFC at 7-7. They are on the outside but still close enough to get into the playoffs if at least three teams ahead of them implode – or slip just enough so that the Raiders can sneak in.

Their last three games aren’t cakewalks, with two of them against divisional opponents, so the best they can do now is win and hope for a Christmas miracle that stretches all the way to Week 18 in January.

Next Sunday, the Raiders (7-7) will be back at home to play against the Broncos (7-7), while on Christmas Day, the Browns (7-7) are scheduled to take on the Packers (11-3) in Green Bay.