The past decade has taken Raider Nation through upheaval, from the final Oakland years to the bright lights of Las Vegas. The franchise has not returned to the Super Bowl stage, but the era has delivered a string of defining nights that captured the identity of the team and its fan base.
From walk-off drama to record-breaking blowouts, these moments show how the Raiders can swing from chaos to control in a single game. They also mark the transition from an old chapter to a new one in a different city, with Allegiant Stadium now a central part of the story. For many fans, these games sit on the same emotional shelf as classic moments from previous generations.
Planning for a season as a fan often feels like betting on variance: hope, risk, and a few wild swings along the way, not unlike the patience and timing needed back in the Tongits Wars Old Version. For the Raiders, that mix has produced at least five nights between 2015 and 2025 that stand out as modern touchstones.
Raiders Clinch Playoffs in OT Classic (2021)
Week 18 of the 2021 season, played on January 9, 2022, turned into an instant classic at Allegiant Stadium. The Raiders and Chargers entered Sunday Night Football both alive for the playoffs and ended regulation tied 29–29 after Justin Herbert led a frantic Los Angeles comeback.
Over time, only amplified the tension. The Raiders took a 32–29 lead on a Daniel Carlson field goal, watched the Chargers respond to tie it at 32, then drove again behind Josh Jacobs to set up one last kick. With two seconds left in overtime, Carlson drilled a 47-yard field goal to seal a 35–32 win and send Las Vegas to the postseason while eliminating the Chargers. The game showcased Derek Carr’s poise, the defense’s bend-but-don’t-break stretches, and a late-game decision-making sequence that fans still debate.
Franchise-Record Blowout: Raiders 63, Chargers 21 (2023)
On December 14, 2023, the Raiders delivered one of the most stunning responses to adversity in recent team history. Four days after a 3–0 home loss to the Vikings, Las Vegas erupted for a 63–21 win over the Chargers, setting a franchise record for points in a game and becoming one of the few teams since the AFL-NFL merger to crack 60 points in a regular-season contest.
The performance was complete in every phase. The offense scored on six of eight first-half possessions and built a 42–0 lead at the break, while the defense and special teams added big plays and even points of their own. The win snapped a rough stretch, restored some belief in the new direction, and gave Raider Nation a modern blowout to rival the 59–14 win in Denver back in 2010.
First Raiders Touchdown At Allegiant Stadium (2020)
The 2020 move from Oakland to Las Vegas marked one of the biggest transitions in franchise history. The first signature on-field moment in that new era came on Monday Night Football against the New Orleans Saints on September 21, 2020. Early in the game, fullback Alec Ingold caught a short pass from Derek Carr and powered over the goal line for the first Raiders touchdown ever scored at Allegiant Stadium.
The play itself was routine by NFL standards, but the context made it historic for the franchise. It symbolized the start of a new home identity, with the “Death Star” backdrop and a national audience watching the Raiders stake their claim in Las Vegas. Even without a full stadium due to pandemic restrictions, fans quickly adopted that touchdown as the unofficial opening statement of the Vegas era.
Zay Jones Walk-Off Touchdown in OT Thriller (2021)
The article draft framed this as a road win in Baltimore, but the moment actually unfolded in Las Vegas to open the 2021 season. On September 13, 2021, the Raiders hosted the Ravens on Monday Night Football and turned a back-and-forth contest into one of the wildest finishes of the decade.
After trading blows all night, the teams went to overtime tied 27–27. Carr appeared to have thrown a game-winning touchdown in OT once already before a review placed the ball just short of the goal line, and a later tipped pass resulted in an end zone interception that briefly swung momentum back to Baltimore. The defense responded with a strip-sack of Lamar Jackson, setting the stage for one last shot. On a sudden deep shot, Carr hit Zay Jones behind the defense for a walk-off touchdown and a 33–27 win. The sequence captured the chaos, risk, and resilience that Raider fans often expect on big stages.
Raiders Stun Chiefs At Arrowhead (2020)
Few regular-season wins resonate with Raider Nation like knocking off Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs in Kansas City. On October 11, 2020, the Raiders went into Arrowhead as clear underdogs and walked out with a 40–32 victory, snapping the Chiefs’ long regular-season winning streak and proving that Las Vegas could go toe-to-toe with the league’s defending champions.
Derek Carr attacked downfield, connecting with receivers like Nelson Agholor and Henry Ruggs III on explosive plays that kept pace with Mahomes. The Raiders’ defense generated enough pressure and key stops to protect a late lead, and a fourth-quarter drive capped by a scoring push and a defensive stand closed out the upset. In a decade defined by change, that win stood out as proof that the team could still land a punch against the NFL’s elite on the road.
Why These Moments Still Matter
Each of these games speaks to a different layer of Raider identity. The playoff-clinching win over the Chargers captured the drama and edge-of-chaos decision-making that often defines the franchise’s biggest nights. The 63-point blowout provided a modern statistical outlier that fans can point to when discussing the team’s potential at its best.
Ingold’s touchdown and the Zay Jones walk-off score tied the emotions of a new city to on-field moments, helping Las Vegas feel like a true home rather than just a relocation. The Arrowhead upset revived a long-standing rivalry and showed that even amid inconsistency, the Raiders could still deliver a marquee road performance when few expected it.
Looking Ahead For Raiders Nation
The seasons since have brought more coaching changes, roster turnover, and stretches of uneven play. The 2025 campaign did not deliver a deep run, and both the offense and defense have faced questions about consistency and direction. Yet the stands remain full, the road sections stay loud, and the fan base continues to invest in the next signature moment.
For Raider Nation, these five games from the past decade are checkpoints in a story that is still unfolding. They bridge Oakland to Las Vegas, connect veteran fans to younger ones, and offer reminders that even in lean years, a single Sunday or Monday night can rewrite the mood around the franchise. The next chapter may come from a playoff breakthrough, a new star’s arrival, or another shocker against a top contender, but recent history shows that the Raiders still know how to command the spotlight when the stage is biggest.
