The Las Vegas Raiders ended a brutal 10-game losing streak Sunday with a gritty 19-14 victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars at Allegiant Stadium. Quarterback Aidan O’Connell returned from a knee injury and delivered a solid performance, passing for 257 yards in his first start in two weeks. The victory marked the Raiders’ first win since a 20-16 triumph over the Cleveland Browns on September 29, halting what had been the NFL’s longest active losing streak.
The win improved Las Vegas to 3-12 on the season, bumping them ahead of the league-worst New York Giants (2-13) in the race for the top pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. Despite the potential draft implications, Raiders head coach Antonio Pierce was focused on celebrating the team’s hard-fought victory.
“We needed this,” Pierce said. “The guys fought hard. It’s been a tough year, but this shows the character in our locker room.”
O’Connell’s return provided a spark for the Raiders’ offense. He connected repeatedly with standout rookie tight end Brock Bowers, who caught 11 passes for 99 yards. Bowers’ performance brought him within 10 yards of breaking Mike Ditka’s 63-year-old rookie record for receiving yards by a tight end (1,076). Bowers also became just the third rookie tight end in NFL history to surpass 1,000 receiving yards in a season, joining Ditka and Atlanta’s Kyle Pitts (2021).
“Brock’s been incredible all year,” O’Connell said. “To come back and have him as a safety valve was huge for me.”
The Raiders also got a key contribution from running back Ameer Abdullah, whose 7-yard touchdown run early in the fourth quarter proved to be the game-winner.
For Jacksonville, the loss was yet another close defeat in a season full of near-misses. The Jaguars (3-12) have now lost seven of their last eight games and are 2-9 in one-score contests this year.
Quarterback Mac Jones threw for 247 yards and a touchdown, including a 62-yard strike to rookie receiver Brian Thomas Jr., who continued his stellar season. Thomas broke the Jaguars’ rookie records for catches (73) and receiving yards (1,087), surpassing marks set by Justin Blackmon in 2012. He also extended his rookie franchise record for touchdown receptions to nine.
Despite Thomas’ heroics, Jacksonville’s miscues proved costly. The Jaguars lost two fumbles, committed eight penalties, and managed just 15 first downs. Raiders safety Isaiah Pola-Mao was instrumental, forcing both fumbles and becoming the first Raiders defensive back to force multiple fumbles in a game since Charles Woodson in 1999.
“We’re not finishing games,” Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson said. “It’s frustrating, but we have to learn from it.”
The Raiders took a 13-7 lead into halftime thanks to a pair of Daniel Carlson field goals and Abdullah’s touchdown run. Jacksonville briefly seized momentum late in the third quarter when Jones found Thomas wide open for a 62-yard touchdown, giving the Jaguars a 14-13 lead.
However, Las Vegas responded with a methodical 10-play, 70-yard drive, capped by Abdullah’s decisive touchdown. Though Carlson missed a 2-point conversion attempt, the Raiders’ defense held firm the rest of the way to secure the win.
The Raiders’ 10-game losing streak was the fifth-longest in franchise history and their longest since a 16-game skid spanning the 2013-14 seasons. This game also marked the first time this season that Las Vegas didn’t trail by double digits, snapping a 14-game streak that ranked second in NFL history behind the 1986 Indianapolis Colts (16 games).
The Jaguars will look to regroup as they host the Tennessee Titans next Sunday. Meanwhile, the Raiders travel to New Orleans for a matchup with the Saints.
While draft positioning remains a subplot for both teams, Sunday’s game showed the fight still present in each locker room, despite the challenges of a difficult season.
