Heading into the 2024 season finale, Raiders' focus is to 'finish the right way'

Jan 02, 2025 at 03:45 PM

Levi Edwards

Digital Team Reporter

Antonio Pierce has been asked several times over the past few days what he'd like to see from the Raiders heading into their season finale against the Los Angeles Chargers.

He's emphasized one word in particular every time he's been asked.

"Finish," the head coach said. "Same thing. Improvement, progress, resilient, pride."

Despite how the season panned out, every sign points to the Silver and Black indeed finishing strong to end the 2024 campaign. Over the last four weeks, after starting the season 2-10, things have clicked both offensively and defensively with young players stepping up to provide substantial production.

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Offensively, the Raiders have completed two straight games without committing a turnover, their first two games this season doing so. Additionally, they've averaged nearly 96 rushing yards a game in their last four games, coming off a season-high 156 rushing yards against the Saints.

"I truly feel like we're playing our best football right now going into the last game of the season and that's really the goal," interim offensive coordinator Scott Turner said. "Obviously when I took over, but at the beginning of the season, you want to be doing that. ... You want to be playing your best football in December and then into January because then that shows the work you're doing in practice during the week and guys are continuing to get better and I feel like that's the case, I truly believe that."

Quarterback Aidan O'Connell has also been a catalyst for the late-season success, recording 943 passing yards and four touchdowns in his last four starts.

"I think taking each day seriously, but also enjoying it," O'Connell said of his mindset. "And no matter what happens, this will be the last time that this group plays together. And so, trying to enjoy it but also trying to make sure we go out with a win."

"I definitely think when you go through certain situations with guys, I think it grows your relationship, it grows your ability to mature in the game," the quarterback added. "And I think talking to older guys that have been in the league for similar times ... hearing them talk about going through those things together and how it's grown them and shaped their experiences, I think is huge."

Defensively, the Raiders have played some of their best football during this late stretch. They've accounted for eight turnovers over their last four games after totaling five in their first 12 games. In that span, they've also complied 12 sacks while allowing less than 17 points for opposing offenses.

"It's the small things for me," defensive coordinator Patrick Graham said. "Tyree [Wilson] with his base, playing with a base more often. [Zach] Carter playing with pad level, because he's naturally cut high, playing with lower pad level. Spill [Robert Spillane] having run stuffs on the other side of the line of scrimmage or at the line of scrimmage more than he had last year. ... Those small things that aren't catchy or anything like that, that's what I'm proud about but most proud when they win because I want them to get the reward of all their hard work."

The defense has also generated a 47.5 percent pressure rate without Maxx Crosby on the field. The 2024 Pro Bowler has been out of action since Week 14 with an ankle injury that put him on injured reserve. Edge rushers K'Lavon Chaisson and Tyree Wilson have stepped up in his absence and combined for four sacks and six tackles for loss since that Week 14 outing.

"Nobody [is] blinking, no matter where we are in the season," Wilson said. "No matter what our wins and losses are, everybody is going in with that hungry mindset to finish the right way and now going into 2025 to start this year off right as a Raiders defense."

The Silver and Black have a chance to win their third consecutive game this Sunday. The main objective remains the same – closing out the season on a high note against their divisional foes.

"We all signed up for 17 games, an 18-week schedule," Pierce said. "We've had really a good month in my opinion, regardless of record, just seeing the improvement, things that we talked about, and now just a great opportunity against a divisional foe that we know very well, that we saw in Week 1, to finish."

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Las Vegas Raiders linebacker Robert Spillane (41) during practice at Intermountain Health Performance Center.