Five combined wins, 23 total losses and starting quarterbacks confined to IR bring the Jacksonville Jaguars to Las Vegas with 2025 top of mind.
The Raiders own a league-worst 10-game losing streak and get ready to face Jaguars backup quarterback Mac Jones in perhaps the best opportunity for a win Las Vegas has had in weeks.
The Raiders (2-12) let a good opportunity slip through their fingertips on Monday, falling 15-9 to the Atlanta Falcons despite limiting Kirk Cousins to a season-low 112 yards and an interception. The Raiders allowed just 261 yards but could only muster 249 yards themselves. Ex-Falcon Desmond Ridder made his debut start for the Raiders, throwing one touchdown and two costly interceptions.
Las Vegas is without former Jaguars starter Gardner Minshew and the Jaguars continue behind Jones because Trevor Lawrence (shoulder) is on IR, too.
Long afterthoughts in the postseason picture, both franchises are fully in the tight race for the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NFL draft. The Raiders last picked No. 1 in 2007 (JaMarcus Russell) but are currently tied with the New York Giants for the worst record in the league.
Not far behind are the Jaguars in a pack that includes the Tennessee Titans, New England Patriots, Carolina Panthers and Cleveland Browns. Jacksonville beat the Titans and Patriots for their two most recent wins this season and lost to the Browns in Week 2.
Jaguars coach Doug Pederson, who could be on the chopping block at the end of the season, insists Jacksonville isn’t focused on a draft board, but finishing the current season with focus and intensity. He said the front office in Jacksonville and elsewhere will take notice of players willing to show up the rest of the way.
“Those are the guys you can build your team around,” Pederson said.
Raiders quarterback Aidan O’Connell, who has a bone bruise in his knee from the Raiders’ loss at Tampa Bay, is expected to play on Sunday after undergoing a full-speed workout prior to last week’s game and returning to practice this week.
“He had a good workout,” Raiders coach Antonio Pierce said. “Just wasn’t there quite yet to put him out there in that position. So, we kept him as the emergency quarterback, and I would say he’s trending upwards to play this week.”
Jones won’t have to deal with All-Pro defensive end Maxx Crosby. He underwent surgery on a lingering foot injury. Crosby was officially placed on IR on Wednesday along with running back Sincere McCormick.
Jacksonville is looking for its second win in three games despite a disappointing season otherwise. Lawrence initially suffered the injury in a Week 9 loss to the Eagles and missed the next two games before suffering a concussion on a controversial hit from Texans safety Azeez Al-Shaair in his return. Lawrence elected to have season-ending surgery to fully correct his left shoulder once he cleared concussion protocol.
The Jaguars went down to the wire at home against the Jets on Sunday, losing 32-25 as they gave up the game-winning touchdown with 1:05 remaining. Jones was serviceable, completing 31 of 46 pass attempts for 294 yards and two touchdowns. Jones did throw two costly interceptions, but all things considered he looked more like the 2021 version of himself than the version seen at the end of his stint in New England.
If the Jaguars find their way to the No. 1 pick in the draft, it would be the third time since 2021, when they drafted Lawrence, in the top spot.
Their most recent first-rounder, wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr., has emerged as a rising star in the Jaguars offense.
The rookie out of LSU displayed superstar potential in the Jaguars’ loss Sunday, catching 10 passes for 105 yards and two touchdowns. Thomas is tied for fifth in the NFL with eight touchdown receptions and is likely to reach 1,000 yards receiving on the season this week as he enters Sunday’s game with 964 yards.
Tight end Brenton Strange sustained an AC joint sprain last week in an 11-catch game against the Jets and was limited Wednesday. He was threatening to emerge as a complement to Thomas with Evan Engram out for the season. Jacksonville offensive linemen Ezra Cleveland (knee) and Brandon Scherff (knee, shoulder) were also limited.
The Raiders also have an emerging superstar in rookie tight end Brock Bowers, who actually led the league in receptions going into last week.
Bowers, now fourth in receptions (90) after only catching three passes in each of his last two games, has three games this season with 10-plus grabs. Bowers already has more catches than any rookie tight end in league history and is still within range of the overall rookie receptions record set by Rams receiver Puka Nacua (105) last season.
“(Bowers is a) great young player,” Pederson said. “Just his ability to separate and get open. Obviously (the Raiders are) using him the right way and just making plays for him. He’s a dynamic tight end.”
“(Tight ends) are a bigger body, so you can create some matchups and that’s what you see (the Raiders doing). He runs extremely well, obviously”
Raiders offensive guard Jordan Meredith (ankle) was the only player who did not practice on Wednesday.
–Field Level Media