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5 takeaways from the Las Vegas Raiders’ Black Friday heartbreaker vs. the Chiefs

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5 takeaways from the Las Vegas Raiders’ Black Friday heartbreaker vs. the Chiefs

The Las Vegas Raiders sunk to eight straight losses with a heartbreaking 19-17 defeat from Arrowhead Stadium against the Kansas City Chiefs.

The Raiders (2-10) did plenty of things right, but it was their game-sealing mistake that will loom largest in this rivalry loss from GEHA Field.

Las Vegas outgained Kansas City in total yards, 434-329. The Raiders also ran the football more effectively throughout than they have all season, totaling 116 yards on the ground and 4.6 yards per carry.

Still, it ended in a stinging defeat at one of the Raiders’ hated rivals. Here’s five takeaways from the Raiders’ Week 13 loss at Kansas City.

The fumble overshadows positives

Unfortunately, the end-of-game blunder involving center Jackson Powers-Johnson, right guard Dylan Parham and quarterback Aidan O’Connell will overshadow a lot of the positive that happened in this game for the Raiders.

Sitting in prime position to potentially stun the Chiefs again in another holiday battle, Powers-Johnson snapped the football with the play clock draining and O’Connell looking down the line of scrimmage and unprepared for the snap.

Watching the replay, Parham taps Powers-Johnson’s thigh, seemingly alerting the rookie to snap the football. The Chiefs pounced on the football and any attempt at a game-winning field goal vanished in the blink of an eye.

The Raiders were positioned on the Kansas City 32-yard line at the time of the snap. O’Connell took the blame for the debacle after the loss.

For a team that’s now lost eight straight, there will be plenty of finger pointing to go around.

Aidan O’Connell still delivered one of his finest starts

Putting the game-sealing fumble aside, O’Connell delivered one of his best starts as a Raiders quarterback on Friday from Arrowhead Stadium.

O’Connell completed 23-of-35 passes for 340 yards. It featured a number of pinpoint passes, including his 58-yard dart to wide receiver Tre Tucker.

The Raiders are still going to be selecting their franchise quarterback of the future in the 2025 NFL draft, but they have a serviceable, longterm backup quarterback on hand in O’Connell.

Ameer Abdullah’s kickoff return nearly flipped the game

Las Vegas running back Ameer Abdullah provided a big-time spark and nearly flipped this game in the Raiders’ favor with his 68-yard punt return. Abdullah nearly housed it, but Kansas City’s Chamarri Conner managed to track him down at the KC 26-yard line.

But, it didn’t take long for O’Connell and the Raiders to cash in. O’Connell connected with Raiders rookie tight end Brock Bowers for a 33-yard touchdown three snaps later.

After forcing a KC three-and-out, O’Connell connected with Tucker for the big touchdown pass and the Raiders had their first and only lead of the day.

The Raiders didn’t complete enough drives early

One of the costly themes of the season reared its ugly head once more. The NFL is all about winning in the margins, and the Raiders left opportunities on the board early.

Las Vegas drove to the Kansas City 4-yard line on its second series, but a false start backed the Raiders up. The Raiders would settle for a field goal after O’Connell was sacked on third down by Kansas City defensive tackle Chris Jones.

Another promising first-half drive ended with a missed 56-yard field goal. Then, in the second half, the Raiders were turned away on downs at the KC 30-yard line and the Raiders missed two more field goals of 55 and 58 yards.

Brock Bowers is inevitable

Right now, it’s rave reviews every week for Raiders rookie tight end Brock Bowers. Even with teams scheming up for Bowers, he continues to produce week after week.

Bowers caught 10 passes for a new career-high 140 yards. The Raiders rookie found the end zone for the fourth time in his young career and for the third time in Las Vegas’ past four games.

 

Las Vegas Raiders

REPORT: Tom Brady talks up future with Raiders And His Desire To Restructure and Name Two Players Raiders Will Cut Going To 2025

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REPORT: Tom Brady talks up future with Raiders And His Desire To Restructure and Name Two Players Raiders Will Cut Going To 2025

Legendary NFL quarterback and current part-owner of the Las Vegas Raiders,Tom Brady recently shared insights into his vision for the franchise and hinted at significant roster changes as the team looks toward the 2025 season. According to an ESPN report, Brady expressed his commitment to helping the Raiders return to prominence and discussed potential moves that could shape the team’s future.

Brady emphasized the importance of building a competitive roster and suggested that the Raiders may need to make difficult decisions to achieve that goal. Specifically, he mentioned two players—quarterback Desmond Ridder and tight end Brock Bowers—who may not remain with the team heading into 2025. While Brady did not elaborate on the reasons for these potential cuts, the implication is that the Raiders are considering a broader restructuring to align with their long-term goals.

Ridder, who joined the Raiders after being drafted by the Atlanta Falcons, has faced challenges in establishing himself as a consistent starter in the NFL. Meanwhile, Bowers, a highly touted tight end from Georgia, has struggled to meet the lofty expectations set for him during his transition to the professional level.

If Brady’s comments are any indication, the team may be seeking fresh talent to reinvigorate these key positions.

Brady also spoke about his desire to take an active role in shaping the Raiders’ future, noting his plans to work closely with the coaching staff and front office. “I want to see this team succeed, and sometimes that means making tough calls,” he explained. “We need to put ourselves in the best position to win.”

As a former player with seven Super Bowl titles, Brady’s insights carry considerable weight. His involvement as a part-owner has already brought increased attention to the Raiders, and his influence could extend to decisions that impact the team’s roster and overall direction.

The Raiders are coming off another challenging season, and fans are eager to see whether Brady’s leadership can help turn the team’s fortunes around. While his comments about roster cuts have sparked speculation, they also underline his determination to help the Raiders build a winning culture and compete at the highest level in the years ahead.

 

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“I have a lot of confidence….Raiders QB Aidan O’Connell Sends Strong Message on Brock Bowers

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“I have a lot of confidence….Raiders QB Aidan O’Connell Sends Strong Message on Brock Bowers

It’s been a long season for the Las Vegas Raiders but the one major silver lining has been rookie tight end Brock Bowers. The team was questioned for using a first-round pick on a tight end a year after they used a second-round pick on Michael Mayer but he has rewarded them all season.

Bowers is currently leading the NFL with 84 receptions and is fourth in receiving yards with 884. He has proven that he’s not only one of the best tight ends in the league already, but one of the best offensive weapons overall.

Quarterback Aidan O’Connell connected with Bowers 10 times during Friday’s loss to the Kansas City Chiefs and he’s been very impressed with the young tight end.

“He’s pretty special, obviously,” O’Connell said in his postgame press conference. “He makes incredible plays, play after play. Sometimes I throw it, and I can’t really see the result that’s going to happen, but I have a lot of confidence in him, as well as a lot of other guys.”

Throwing to Bowers has been a recipe for success for the Raiders offense so he’ll likely continue to be targeted early and often.

Antonio Pierce Praises O’Connell & Bowers

The Raiders’ offense has been stagnant for much of the season and while only scored 17 points against the Chiefs on Friday, the group could’ve scored a lot more if it weren’t for Daniel Carlson missing three field goals.

O’Connell was impressive as he threw for 340 yards and two touchdowns. Head coach Antonio Pierce praises O’Connell and Bowers for the work they did in Week 13.

“That’s a credit to both players just putting time in, even on a short week, working after practice and talking,” Pierce said during his Saturday press conference. “Aidan is a pretty good communicator. He’s done a really good job of that since he’s gotten back. And Brock just works. If you ask Brock to be here today on the day off, he’ll be out there playing pitch and catch.”

Bowers is the Raiders’ best weapon so he’s been getting the most attention from opposing defenses. Pierce thinks the fact that he’s still having success just shows how special he is.

“The last couple weeks, with Pat Surtain, and this week (Trent) McDuffie and the safeties. … (Teams are) not putting too many linebackers on him throughout the game,” Pierce said. “And now we’re seeing double-teams and them really shifting their zone to him. And to be honest, I don’t really think it matters, man. I think we got a really special player on our hands.”

 

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WATCH OUT: “I thought he commanded the offense and..” Raiders quarterback Aidan O’Connell did something

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WATCH OUT: “I thought he commanded the offense and..”
Raiders quarterback Aidan O’Connell did something that no other quarterback has done against the Chiefs……….

The Las Vegas Raiders fell short in a heartbreaking loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. Raiders quarterback Aidan O’Connell did something that no other quarterback has done against the Chiefs this season.

Las Vegas Raiders interim offensive coordinator Scott Turner showed what a quarterback can do when you let him loose. Even though the Raiders fell short in Week 13 to the reigning Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs, Raiders quarterback Aidan O’Connell had arguably the best game of his young career.

O’Connell did something in Week 13 that no quarterback has done this season.

O’Connell who was coming off a broken thumb injury, did not show signs of it being a problem. O’Connell played free and with confidence. He stood in the pocket and delivered on drives when the Raiders needed to score.

The Chiefs have one of the best defenses in the NFL and the Raiders offense went up and down the field against them. O’Connell became the first quarterback this season to throw 300 yards against the Chiefs.

The Chiefs have faced top quarterbacks Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson, Joe Burrow, and Brock Purdy. But none accomplished what O’Connell did. O’Connell finished the game by completing 23 out of 35 passes, having 340 yards and two touchdowns.

“I thought he competed. I thought, for what we knew we were getting with Spags [Steve Spagnulol] and that defense,” said Raiders head coach Antonio Pierce. “He stood in the pocket, made some tough throws, took some hits, took the shots down the field like we wanted. We had some opportunities to take shots down the field, he threw them. And I thought our skills guys did a hell of a job, competing and making some making really big plays for us.”

“I just think getting Aidan out there and getting more and more reps, I do not even think he has 17 starts yet in his career. Coming back after you know five, six-week layoff and just you know being sharp throwing the ball mentally, I mean he was totally engaged and understood what we needed to do especially in the two-minute drive. I thought he did a really good job there. I thought he commanded the offense.

“It was really good to see him, break the pocket and scramble for a little bit … I just love the way our guys competed. I love the attitude, the accountability that everybody played with throughout the game and kept their chin up, you know in a tough loss.”

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