The Las Vegas Raiders were able to get the win and keep the momentum going this week. Their latest victim—the lowly New Orleans Saints, who couldn’t defend their home turf. Having said that, let’s examine some hasty, also known as knee-jerk, reactions.
Would you look at that? The Raiders have emerged victorious in two consecutive games. Obviously, it comes too late, as Las Vegas has already lost out on playoff contention. Nonetheless, it is still something to build on for next season.
Aidan O’Connell could be the Raiders’ Week 1 starter in 2025…
These games certainly do not appear “meaningless” to AOC. The second-year quarterback has been balling out since returning from injury. His terrific play of late invites the question of where the Raiders would be right now had he been named the Week 1 starter over Gardner Minshew.
While we cannot change the past, we can look towards the future. O’Connell is earning the right to be part of that discussion regarding Las Vegas’ 2025 plans. If the Raiders could put more talent around him and improve the offensive play-calling, who knows what his ceiling could be? Whether they want to or not, the Raiders may have to explore that possibility. As O’Connell continues to lead the Raiders to these late-season victories, they fall further and further away from the top of the draft.
Speaking of falling in the draft…
Top 2025 QB prospects may be out of reach…
This week’s win pushes the Raiders back to the eighth pick in the draft. A win next week could push Las Vegas as low as 10, while a loss could only elevate them to the fifth pick, a feat that would require significant assistance. Most mock drafts at this point have the top two quarterbacks in this class, Miami’s Cam Ward and Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders, projected to go in the top three.
Unless a miracle occurs or a significant trade is made, both Ward and Sanders will be unavailable when Las Vegas enters the draft. In a weak quarterback class, the Raiders will likely be left without any strong options to find a surefire starter in the draft. Unless they can pull off a big-time trade or free-agent signing in the offseason, Raider Nation should prepare itself for a similar quarterback situation in 2025 as we saw in 2024.
Brock Bowers is (should be) Offensive Rookie of the Year!
The rookie tight end for the Raiders delivered another outstanding performance this week. This week was particularly noteworthy as Bowers shattered several single-season records. On top of shattering rookie records like Mike Ditka’s for receiving yards by a tight end and Puka Nacua’s for receptions, Bowers also surpassed Darren Waller as the Raiders’ all-time single-season receptions leader.
After surpassing Mike Ditka’s 63-year-old record for receiving yards, Raiders rookie Brock Bowers joins truly elite company. Being one of, if not the best, tight ends in the NFL, you’d think he’d be a surefire Rookie of the Year, right? pic.twitter.com/016Na7LRa0
— RaiderRamble.com™ (@TheRaiderRamble) December 29, 2024
No other rookie is having the type of historic season that Bowers is. Sure, Jayden Daniels and Bo Nix are having excellent years with a lot of team success. Neither are setting any NFL records. Moreover, neither quarterback would be ranked among the top five in the league. Meanwhile, Bowers is already playing his way into the conversation for the best tight end in the league, period. If the award does not go to Bowers, the league should just go ahead and change the name of it to Rookie Quarterback of the Year.
*Top Photo: Getty Images
Should The Raiders Pursue 5-Time All-Pro Tyreek Hill This Offseason?
The post Knee-Jerk Reactions: Raiders Defeat Saints, AOC Looking Solid, Bowers Is OROY appeared first on The Raider Ramble.