Getty Los Angeles Chargers DE Khalil Mack.
The Las Vegas Raiders were coming off a historic loss against the Minnesota Vikings in Week 14. The Raiders looked like a different team in Week 15 against the Los Angeles Chargers and scored a franchise-record 63 points in a win.
This was a Raiders offense that scored more than 20 offensive points just once this season. The last time Las Vegas played the Chargers, Khalil Mack had a career-high 6.0 sacks in a single game. Mack leads the NFL with 15.0 right now but was shut out in Week 15.
Raiders starting right tackle Jermaine Eluemunor heard the narrative that Mack dominates his former team and made sure to take a shot in an NSFW X post following the game.
“Y’all’s favorite Rusher ain’t do sh** tonight huh,” Eluemunor wrote in the December 14 X post.
Y’all’s favorite Rusher ain’t do shit tonight huh….
Mack ended the game with no sacks and two combined tackles. The former Raiders Defensive Player of the Year has 10.0 career sacks against Las Vegas in five games so he’s played well. However, Eluemunor clearly took it upon himself to make sure Mack didn’t have a big game. This was the best Raiders offensive performance of the year and quarterback Aidan O’Connell had the best game of his career and much of that was thanks to the offensive line keeping him protected.
Antonio Pierce Addresses Big Win
Perhaps the biggest winner from the Raiders’ 63-21 win over the Chargers was interim head coach Antonio Pierce. After the team lost three straight games, it looked like Pierce’s chances of getting the full-time job were low.
However, a record-breaking performance against a division rival will certainly be something that owner Mark Davis will remember. Pierce was fired up after the game.
“We kicked some a** today,” Pierce said during his December 14 postgame press conference.
The Raiders just had a humiliating loss against the Vikings where the offense couldn’t muster a single point. In a short week, the offense was able to turn things around and completely dominated the Chargers defense. If Pierce can build off the momentum of this game and have the Raiders play well in the final three games, his chances of becoming the full-time head coach will be greatly increased.
What Win Means for Las Vegas Raiders
While this win was huge for Raiders morale and Antonio Pierce’s chances of keeping the head coach job, it doesn’t mean much for the team’s playoff hopes. Las Vegas is 12th in the AFC and is a full two games behind five teams that are in the Wild Card race.
The biggest thing to come from the game is the Raiders go from having the No. 6 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft to having the No. 10 pick. Pierce has no reason to tank so he’s going to try and put the team in a position to win. It’s clear that they aren’t giving up on the season quite yet.
The playoffs aren’t impossible but the Raiders need a lot of help. They almost certainly have to win their last three games if they even want a chance. For Pierce, winning the rest of the games would help his chances of getting the full-time head coaching job so this team will likely continue to play hard for the rest of the year.