Raiders ‘have a lot of fight’ going against Jaguars

The Las Vegas Raiders find themselves in a strange spot this week.

On Sunday, the Raiders (2-12) remain at home to play the Jacksonville Jaguars (3-11) at Allegiant Stadium.

With both teams eliminated from postseason contention, this game means little in the eyes of the casual fan outside of draft positioning. However, the Raiders are still playing hard as they try to secure their first win since Week 4.

“You look at our record, and everyone thinks we’re just gonna roll over and die,” rookie center Jackson Powers-Johnson said. “We’re not rolling over. We have a lot of fight. And that’s kind of rare to see in a locker room.”

Here are three things to look for heading into this matchup:

The return of QB1

It was looking bad for Aidan O’Connell for a little while.

When O’Connell was carted off the field against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, many assumed that the Raiders had just lost another quarterback for the season. Instead, he will only miss one game as he is likely returning to the lineup against Jacksonville.

Last week against the Atlanta Falcons, Desmond Ridder tried his best to right the ship, throwing for 208 yards, a touchdown and two interceptions. Having O’Connell back to provide some level of stability to the offense is a positive sign, even amidst a lost season like the one the Raiders have.

“Yeah, he had a good workout. Just wasn’t there quite yet to put him out there in that position,” said Raiders head coach Antonio Pierce on O’Connell’s availability. “So, we kept him as emergency quarterback, and I would say he’s trending upwards to play this week.”

Chaisson revenge game

For Raiders defensive end K’Lavon Chaisson, this game means something much more than just getting a win.

Drafted in the first round by the Jaguars in 2020 out of LSU, Chaisson struggled to gain much traction at the NFL level. After four disappointing seasons in Jacksonville, Chaisson had a brief stint with the Carolina Panthers before joining with the Raiders.

Since joining the lineup, Chaisson has started to cement himself as an NFL-caliber player. Already with a career-high three sacks, Chaisson has emerged as someone the Raiders can trust in key moments. With Maxx Crosby gone for the season, Chaisson will get plenty of opportunity to make his mark against his former team.

“I mean, I’ve wanted to coach KC [Chaisson] since he was coming out of college,” said Raiders defensive coordinator Patrick Graham.

“Anytime you got somebody in the front that has the flexibility in terms of coverage, rush, set the edge and intelligence, that’s somebody that – I mean, I want that in the front, because it’s going to give you some flexibility. In terms of his growth, I mean you have to talk to him about that. I just know that, again, what I’ve encountered and what I knew about from the process, smart player who wants to do right. He’s done everything I’ve asked him to.”

Don’t get burned

Raiders tight end Brock Bowers will not be the only dynamic rookie receiver on display in this game.

Jaguars wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. is having an excellent rookie year in his own right. He currently sits third amongst all rookies in receiving yards with 956, sitting behind Bowers and Los Angeles Chargers wide receiver Ladd McConkey. He also leads all rookies with eight receiving touchdowns.

The Raiders have been burned by top receivers in recent weeks, with Buccaneers receiver Jalen McMillan having a two-touchdown performance two weeks ago and Falcons receiver Drake London finding the end zone on Monday. If the Raiders wants to keep themselves in the running, they will have to key in on the rookie and contain him to the best of their ability.

”Because there’s plenty of kids that have the athletic ability, the speed, you see all the numbers in the combine,” said Graham on Thomas and fellow LSU receivers. “But these dudes come here to this league and they’re just taking off, [Justin] Jefferson, [Ja’Marr] Chase, all these guys. I mean, [Malik] Nabers at the Giants. I mean, they’re really good players.”

“So, I think this guy’s doing a good job. He’s doing a really good job. Really good job.”