3 Things We Learned From the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 15

The Las Vegas Raiders beat the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 15 by a score of 63-21.

SportsGrid looks into what the victory means for the Raiders.

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1. Aidan O’Connell Proved He Belongs

After the Raiders’ offense scored zero points in Week 14 against the Minnesota Vikings, it’s safe to say they had a bounce-back performance for the ages in Week 15 against the Chargers. There are reasonable questions about whether or not Aidan O’Connell is the future quarterback for the Raiders. We’re still not sold even after he put up 248 passing yards and four touchdowns in the victory. What we are sold on with him is that he’s earned his place in the league as a quarterback, even if it’s not as a starter. As Tom Brady has pointed out, there’s a lot of bad quarterback play in the league right now, and O’Connell certainly isn’t the worst of the bunch. 

2. The Raiders Defense Gave the Chargers a Headache

Even though the final score read 63-21, the Raiders defense stood out Thursday night in Week 15. After holding the Minnesota Vikings to three points in a Week 14 loss, the Raiders have now put together back-to-back impressive performances on that side of the football. It was a turnover show for the Raiders against the Chargers, and that’s a big reason why the score ended up so lopsided. The Raiders forced five turnovers against the Chargers, their most since 2020. Chargers quarterback Easton Stick is likely having nightmares over the pressure the Raiders got on him in the first half. The Raiders’ defense is making some solid statements down the stretch, and there are certainly some defensive pieces on this roster worth building around. 

3. Key Offensive Pieces Stepped up

Although there have been a lot of inconsistencies with the Raiders on offense, multiple pieces stepped up on Thursday night and put together strong efforts. Davante Adams led the charge with eight catches for 101 yards and a touchdown, but what was more impressive was the youth’s performance. Rookie tight end Michael Mayer has been more involved with the offense and caught four balls for 39 yards and a touchdown. With Josh Jacobs out for the Raiders, Zamir White stepped up in the ground game, rushing for 69 yards and a touchdown. It’s crucial down the stretch that the Raiders figure out what they have in some of these youthful pieces. 

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