A few more weeks everyone, just a few more weeks. The Las Vegas Raiders season is nearing the finish line, as they have three games left. The injury bug has nearly sunk the pirate ship with Maxx Crosby done for the year and Sincere McCormick now joined him. That’s a shame, because he was showing glimpses of life and giving the run game something worth chewing on. Despite sitting at 2-12, this Raiders game has tremendous meaning, which is worth tuning into.

Raiders-Jaguars Game Has Meaning

The Raiders are not tanking. Sure, they have lost a ton of games and are not finding the win column by any means. In fact, they haven’t won a game since Week 4 against the Cleveland Browns. While it’s been painful for Raider Nation to tune into games and finding reasons to watch the Silver and Black, this week gives them something worth chewing on.

The Raiders are locked in to at least have a top five pick in the upcoming NFL Draft. As it currently stands, the Raiders have the second overall pick, right behind the New York Giants. The irony is BOTH teams need quarterbacks to change the landscapes of their franchise. However, the Jacksonville Jaguars are not far behind.

The Jaguars are 3-11 and their season is all but over. If the Jaguars win, this works out well for the Raiders, as it likely keeps the Jaguars where they are on the draft board. However, a Raiders win gives them a tying record and then it boils down to the strength of schedule.

Both teams are looking for the next franchise cornerstone players, so this game some weight to it. Are fans rooting for wins, or rooting for better draft position? That’s what’s worth tuning in for.

Brock Browers Eclipsing 1000 Yards

With Maxx Crosby being out of the fold, the biggest reason to watch football games is Brock Bowers. Bowers is enjoying a phenomenal rookie season and arguably the best ever as a tight end. All the talk is about Jayden Daniels (Commanders) and Bo Nix (Broncos) winning rookie of the year, but Brock Bowers is right in that conversation.

Bowers already set the record for the most receptions among tight ends (90) and has three more games to go. We are all rooting for Bowers to eclipse 1000 yards and all he needs is 32 yards to reach the mark.

The Jaguars are porous against the pass game, allowing the most passing yards. Sure, the Raiders are handicapped at the quarterback position, but it does create a salivating opportunity for Bowers to find space and get his yards. Bowers is also 108 yards away from tying Mike Ditka for having 1,076 yards (most as a rookie tight end).

At this point, watching for Bowers to make history each and every week is worth watching. Heck, he could even do it this Sunday and in front of the home fans.

Other Pleasant Surprises

The Raiders defense actually played well against the Falcons. If only the offense could give them relief, something that’s been an issue for the majority of the 2024 season. Heck, the Falcons put Kirk Cousins on the bench and put in Michael Penix Jr and now will likely plan to release Cousins. For an offense that is the Jaguars that struggles just as much as the Raiders, the defense could surprise people and make it a closely contested game.

As bad as the Raiders pass game is, Jakobi Meyers is having himself a strong season. With three games left to go, Meyers is going to set a career high in yards as. Raider. His high was last season (807) and he currently sits at 802. Also, he is 64 yards away from tying his career high in yards of 866.

Meyers had been a tremendous addition for the Raiders. His leadership is necessary and he has been a tremendous asset on the field. It’s so ironic we’re talking about a lackluster pass game and two players who are on the cusp of breaking their own personal records or league records.

This game has the makings of being a boring game between two lowly teams. However, there is plenty to watch in this game with a lot on the line.