When the Las Vegas Raiders schedule was released, arguably the most intriguing contest was this Week 17 game against the New Orleans Saints, as it would mark the first time former franchise QB Derek Carr, who holds basically every Raiders passing record, would face his former team.
Unfortunately, Carr is still recovering from a fracture in his left hand earlier this month and has not practiced this week, meaning his revenge game against the Raiders is unlikely to take place. That being said, there is still a lot of intrigue and things at stake in this meeting.
The Raiders, much to the chagrin of many fans, ended their 10-game losing streak last week, but that victory dropped the Raiders from the second pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, all the way down to sixth. But head coach Antonio Pierce and all those in the locker room couldn’t care less about that and will continue to do everything they can to pick up a second straight win.
The defense was strong against the Jaguars, aside from one big play allowed, and another performance like that would go a long way for the Raiders. Pass rusher K’Lavon Chaisson has been outstanding over the past month and his performances have really stood out as Maxx Crosby has been lost due to injury. With the Saints also likely to be without top weapons Alvin Kamara and Chris Olave, the defense has another chance to set the tone, though New Orleans will be looking to bounce back after being shut out on Monday Night.
Offensively the pressure will remain on quarterback Aidan O’Connell to continue his solid play. The key to that has been feeding rookie stalwart Brock Bowers who is in line to break another record. Jakobi Meyers has been great as another secondary option and the Saints defense is one of the worst in the league though, again, after an embarrassing performance against the Packers, the motivation in New Orleans should be heightened.
This is another contest in which some would say there isn’t anything for these teams to play for, but that isn’t the case for those inside each locker room. Neither Raiders coach Antonio Pierce or Saints interim coach Darren Rizzi are guaranteed to be around next season so they are both looking to get the most out of their respective teams and ensure a place on the sideline next year.
And even with Carr on the sideline, he will undoubtedly be looking to motivate the Saints to pick up a win on his behalf against his former team. This is a rare case this season where the Raiders are favored, but that doesn’t mean they can relax and take anything for granted on the road against a Saints team that will still be motivated to put on a strong performance in front of their home fans.
Las Vegas Raiders (2-12) vs. Jacksonville Jaguars (3-11)
10:00 a.m. PT, Sunday, December 29, 2024
Caesars Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana
TV: FOX
