Las Vegas Raiders roller coaster 2023 season takes another unexpected turn

Much of the talk going into the Las Vegas Raiders Week 15 matchup against the Los Angeles Chargers centered around whether or not guys would be shut down the rest of the season. The injury report going into the game was loaded with key players, including Maxx Crosby, Davante Adams, Kolton Miller, and Josh Jacobs.

However, this is a team that is clearly playing for their head coach, as Antonio Pierce looks to prove that he deserves to shed the interim title this offseason. What started as a possible low-scoring game quickly turned into a scoring outburst for the Silver and Black, scoring 63 points against their division rival.

Nine touchdowns only a few days after being shutout by the Minnesota Vikings was shocking enough, but anybody who has watched this team all season knows this has been a roller coaster of a campaign for Las Vegas. Eight different players scored on Thursday night, including defensive guys like Jack Jones and John Jenkins in what would become a laugher before halftime.

Can the Raiders make some noise down the stretch?

The schedule gets tougher for the Raiders down the stretch, as they have a road game against the division-leading Kansas City Chiefs on Christmas Day their next time out. Kansas City has looked beatable as of late, but they erased a 14-0 Raiders lead a few weeks back inside Allegiant Stadium, outscoring the Silver and Black 31-3 down the stretch.

From there, a road game in Indianapolis comes up in Week 17, and the Colts are no joke this season, posting a 7-6 record through 13 games. Finally, a home game against the upstart Denver Broncos, who have completely turned their season around in 2023, and it appears they have found the right connection with Sean Payton and Russell Wilson.

Overall, the Raiders will have to win out and get some serious help if they hope to nab a Wild Card spot, something that seems very unlikely at this moment. However, as we saw on Thursday night, you never know which Raiders team is going to show up, so why not keep the hope alive for at least the next ten days?