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The Las Vegas Raiders have been one of the worst teams in the NFL throughout the 2024 season. Las Vegas is 2-9 heading into Week 13 and is more likely to have a top pick in the 2025 NFL Draft than make the postseason. It is safe to say that the first full season under head coach Antonio Pierce has been a disappointment.
But there are reasons for optimism. First-round rookie Brock Bowers is having an incredible rookie season at tight end. He is pacing towards eclipsing Sam LaPorta's hugely impressive rookie campaign from 2023.
The Raiders also appear to have Maxx Crosby for the long haul, which makes the Raiders a dangerous defense week in and week out.
Next up for the Raiders is a chance to play berserker against a division rival who is trying to gain position in the AFC playoff picture. Can the Raiders pull off a massive upset on Black Friday against their division rival? Or will the Chiefs take care of the Raiders once again?
Below we will discuss three Raiders bold predictions ahead of their huge Black Friday game against the Chiefs.
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Aidan O'Connell plays a sloppy game against dangerous Kansas City defense
One reason why the Raiders have struggled this season is their poor planning at the QB position.
The Raiders entered the 2024 season with Gardner Minshew and Aidan O'Connell at quarterback. It was painfully clear that Las Vegas planned to use their first-round pick on a quarterback. Unfortunately, six were selected in the first 12 picks and the Raiders missed out.
Gardner Minshew won a training camp QB battle and started the season for the Raiders. He did not play well, but led the team to some wins as well as a couple tight losses.
Matters went from bad to worse when Gardner Minshew suffered a season-ending injury against the Broncos on Sunday.
But what about the Black Friday game? Can Aidan O'Connell give the Raiders a little special something and spark a huge upset win?
I don't think that is even close to happening. Instead, Raiders fans should prepare for O'Connell to get put into a blender against Steve Spagnuolo's aggressive defense.
My prediction: O'Connell will be sacked at least four times against the Chiefs on Black Friday. He will also commit at least two turnovers, one of which will be an ill-advised throw that results in a pick-six. If O'Connell does play like this, the game will be almost unwinnable for Las Vegas.
Brock Bowers hauls in two touchdown passes, inches closer to 1,000-yard rookie season
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Bowers is pacing towards having the best rookie season for a tight end in NFL history.
Bowers has already logged 74 receptions for 744 receiving yards and three touchdowns through 11 games played. He is on pace to exceed 1,000 receiving yards and put up numbers that look more like a WR1 than a rookie tight end.
The Raiders must be thrilled that they went best player available in the 2024 NFL Draft, because Bowers looks like a foundational piece of their rebuilding efforts.
I believe that Bowers will be a huge plan on Las Vegas' gameplan on Friday and the stat sheet will prove it.
My prediction: Bowers will have at least 75 yards receiving and two touchdowns against the Chiefs on Black Friday. Bowers is one of the only parts of the offense that works, so the Raiders would be wise to feed him early and often.
Maxx Crosby only manages one sack of Patrick Mahomes, but creates chaos for a full 60 minutes
Maxx Crosby is one of the only players who has consistently played well for the Raiders over the past several seasons.
Crosby has been one of the best edge rushers in the NFL for multiple seasons in a row. He is trying to go three seasons in a row with at least 12.5 sacks, and he already has six-and-a-half through 11 games.
Crosby would obviously love to add to his total for the 2024 season in this Black Friday game. Unfortunately, Patrick Mahomes may be the slipperiest quarterback in the entire NFL. Mahomes is not the fastest, but he has a knack for avoiding pressure and making off-platform throws. If necessary, he's perfectly happy throwing the football away to avoid a sack as well.
I believe that Crosby will make a huge impact on this game, as he usually does. However, he won't have the career day that I'm sure he's hoping for.
My prediction: Maxx Crosby only manages to sack Patrick Mahomes once on Black Friday. However, he does force at least one turnover and multiple pressures and tackles for loss along the way.
