Las Vegas Raiders Week 15 Studs and Duds: Mariota shines

The Las Vegas Raiders needed a win on Thursday to keep their playoff hopes alive, but were done in by the Los Angeles Chargers.

The Las Vegas Raiders are not out of the playoff mix just yet, but they will need a great deal of help after a soul-crushing loss to the Los Angeles Chargers. The clash on Thursday Night Football was one of the more dramatic games of the season, as it started with Derek Carr going down early, and ended with an absurd sequence in overtime.

The game was an emotional rollercoaster for Raider Nation, as it went from dejection when Carr went down, to possible hope and even elation when Marcus Mariota led a couple touchdown drives, and the Chargers missed some kicks, but it ended in heartbreak when Justin Herbert scored in overtime.

This was not a game for the faint of heart and it was even more heartbreaking considering what was at stake for the Raiders.

After this game, it may be hard to look at things objectively, but several Raiders did well on Thursday night and several others did not play to the level we expect from a playoff team. Perhaps that is because the Raiders, even if they finish 9-7, are not worthy of being a playoff team, and that is why they will likely be on the outside looking in come January.

After that heartbreak, let’s take a look at the duds and studs from the Week 15 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers.