The Las Vegas Raiders were without two starting offensive linemen in a game where the offense scored 49 of the team's franchise-record 63 points.
Raiders offensive tackle and team captain Kolton Miller was out for Thursday's game against the Los Angeles Chargers as he missed his second game in a row and fourth on the season due to a shoulder injury that has bothered him for over a month. Meanwhile, center Andre James also missed Thursday's contest due to an ankle injury he had suffered in Sunday's loss to the Minnesota Vikings.
But as has been the case for much of the season, the Raiders had to bring their "next-man-up" mentality into Week 15.
Suppose anyone knows how to carry that mindset. In that case, it's rookie quarterback Aidan O'Connell, whom the Raiders offensive line kept upright nearly the entire game, allowing just a single sack against a Chargers team with seven sacks against the same quarterback back in Week 4.
"I think it is that ['next-man-up mentality] exactly, and I think we've been trying to do that all year," O'Connell told our own Hondo S. Carpenter Sr. after Thursday's contest. "The coaches have done a great job -- Coach Carmen's [Bricillo] done a great job preparing those guys in practice and just throughout the week to be ready to go. And so, like you said, it's 'next-man-up.'
"Guys have to step up when their number is called, and those guys didn't blink. So, super proud of those guys."
Raiders Interim Head Coach Antonio Pierce was also proud of what he saw from his offensive line in his team's 63-21 victory on Thursday.
"I'm going to start with Jermaine [Eluemunor]," Pierce said. "He got a lot of slack. People got after him after that first game, right?
"Six sacks -- 'bench him, do this and that.' And listen, it was his birthday yesterday -- I said, 'Best way to celebrate your birthday: blow out them cakes right there on 5-2 [Chargers edge rusher Khalil Mack],' and he did a hell of a job on that man. And I think all those guys amongst the offensive line and to our offensive line coach, Coach Carmen [Bricillo] and Cam [Clemmons] -- they've done an excellent job of just getting the next man ready.
"We've been rotating guys throughout practice; it came to fruition last week. Short week this week. Dylan [Parham] went in there and did a hell of a job at center.
"Took Greg [Van Roten] out at guard, put another guy in there. I mean, you couldn't tell. I mean, that's -- I'm going to be honest, man -- that's coaching.
"And that's guys buying into what their coaches are saying. All the stuff that we've been doing, it came to fruition tonight."
The Silver and Black will return to action versus their AFC West rivals, the Kansas City Chiefs, on Christmas Day in Arrowhead Stadium. Don't miss it on Monday, December 25, at 1:00 p.m. EST/10:00 a.m. PST.
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