Las Vegas Raiders got help in Week 14, but could not help themselves against Minnesota

The Las Vegas Raiders got the help they needed in the early window of the 2023 NFL Week 14 slate, with the Cincinnati Bengals beating Indianapolis and the New York Jets beating the Houston Texans. They even got help on Thursday night with the New England Patriots beating the Pittsburgh Steelers.

With a 1:05PM PT kickoff at home, and coming off the bye week, things were clearly looking up for the Raiders playoff aspirations. Unfortunately for the Silver and Black, they put together a clunker against the Minnesota Vikings, losing 3-0 in one of the more inept offensive games we have seen from the franchise in quite some time.

In fact, the Raiders offense had not looked that bad since Derek Carr could not get the team past the 50-yard line in a loss to the New Orleans Saints last season.

Offensive coordinator Bo Hardegree put together a terrible offensive plan, Aidan O'Connell looked like a rookie at quarterback, and when Josh Jacobs left with an injury in the second half, it was all she wrote for the Silver and Black. Now, sitting at 5-8, the season seems lost, a fate that could have been voided if the team could do anything on offense this Sunday.

Raiders defense came to play against the Vikings

On the bright side, the Raiders got strong play from their defense in this one, as Maxx Crosby led the way with two sacks in the game. Fellow edge rusher Tyree Wilson played his best game as a pro, and in the end, the Vikings had to bench starting quarterback Joshua Dobbs for Nick Mullens.

Despite the incredible effort on the defensive side of the ball, the Raiders could muster nothing on offense, and that led to a 3-0 loss in front of the home fans. Home fans is a funny term considering how much purple you could see in the crowd, as the Vikings faithful turned this one into a home game of their own.

With four games remaining, the Raiders will have to win out, a daunting task with the upstart Denver Broncos and AFC West-leading Kansas City chiefs still left to play. They start their quest on a short week, as they take on the Los Angeles Chargers on Thursday night in Week 15.