Aidan O'Connell brought his best stuff to the bayou
Fans have to be wondering what this season could have looked like if Aidan O'Connell was the starter all year.
Granted, the team did start 2-2 without him and he was fairly beaten out for the job during the preseason, but he has finally found his groove and is showing tremendous growth as a young quarterback.
Now, the Raiders should not get ahead of themselves, because he has not played all year like he has in the last two games. But if the team has to settle for a second or third-round quarterback in the draft, they can rest assured that O'Connell is at least a formidable backup.
He was 20 for 35 in Week 17 for 242 yards and two touchdowns. He did not turn the ball over and only took one sack, evading defenders at times and showing mobility that he has not displayed until this point in his career.
These numbers are not exactly setting the world on fire, but this team has been craving these types of performances from the quarterback position.
Finally, when it matters least, the team is performing in the image that Antonio Pierce envisioned in the offseason: a strong run game paired with a dominant defense and a quarterback who manages the game and takes care of the ball.
This Raiders team still has problems that they need to address in the offseason both in free agency and the draft, but at least the team's young players are beginning to show that they can be counted on.
Many fans feel that these wins are meaningless, and in a way, they are. If the ultimate goal is to make the playoffs and win a Super Bowl, then winning games when you are eliminated from the playoffs has no tangible value.
But the players and coaches are still enjoying these wins because they are hard to come by in the NFL.
Tom Telesco has proven that he can grab great players throughout the draft, and if the team is finding joy in these late-season wins, then perhaps the fans need to find some positives in them as well.
It's going to be a long offseason for the Las Vegas Raiders, so let's enjoy the final week Raider Nation; no matter what you are cheering for or how you plan to do so.