Why the Raiders Week 11 win over the Broncos was so important

DENVER, COLORADO - NOVEMBER 20: Josh Jacobs #28 of the Las Vegas Raiders runs against Justin Simmons #31 of the Denver Broncos to get into field goal range to an NFL game between the Las Vegas Raiders and Denver Broncos at Empower Field At Mile High on November 20, 2022 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Michael Owens/Getty Images)
DENVER, COLORADO - NOVEMBER 20: Josh Jacobs #28 of the Las Vegas Raiders runs against Justin Simmons #31 of the Denver Broncos to get into field goal range to an NFL game between the Las Vegas Raiders and Denver Broncos at Empower Field At Mile High on November 20, 2022 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Michael Owens/Getty Images) /
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DENVER, COLORADO – NOVEMBER 20: Davante Adams #17 of the Las Vegas Raiders celebrates with Derek Carr #4 of the Las Vegas Raiders after completing a pass for a touchdown during an NFL game between the Las Vegas Raiders and Denver Broncos at Empower Field At Mile High on November 20, 2022, in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Michael Owens/Getty Images) /

Why the Raiders Week 11 win over the Broncos was so important

The Postgame Footage

Some of the best evidence of the importance of the win came after the game on Sunday night when the Raiders’ social media page posted a video of the team celebrating in the locker room postgame.

Obviously, for a good portion of this season, the narrative has been that McDaniels has lost the locker room and that there is a rift between players. But it’s clear from the postgame video that assumption isn’t the case. The players swarmed around McDaniels after the game, jumping on him and celebrating the win.

The first thing that Carr did when he walked into the locker room? Hugged his head coach.

So whether or not the team wins its next game is somewhat irrelevant, especially if they give maximum effort. What matters now, and what matters most about this game, is that the team now knows it can win and has the confidence to do so. Things can only go up from here.