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Three Key Plays: Tre Tucker touchdown grab, Brock Bowers' historic catch among top moments in winning effort against Saints

The Las Vegas Raiders came away with their second consecutive win this season in a commanding 25-10 victory over the New Orleans Saints.

Sunday afternoon provided for some historic moments from the Raiders' sensational rookie tight end, along with a career day from their 10-year veteran running back.

Here are three memorable plays that help tell the story of the victory in Caesars Superdome.

Game tied 0-0

First quarter, 11:09

LV 3rd-and-7 at NO 40

This specific play wasn't necessarily in spectacular fashion, but represented what was to come on the ground for the rest of the game.

It was third down on the Raiders' first posession. They advanced past the chains on their first third down situation due to a defensive offside penalty. Now, they lined up in shotgun formation, with NFL Next Gen Stats giving it a 99.3 percent likelihood of being a pass play.

Once the ball was snapped, Aidan O'Connell handed the ball off to Ameer Abdullah on a draw. Tight end Michael Mayer was positioned at fullback holding up a block on Cameron Jordan on the right side. Abdullah sprinted through a gap on the left side created by Jackson Powers-Johnson and Andre James, picking up nine yards and a first down. Per Next Gen Stats, Abdullah picked up four rushing yards over the expected amount.

The Raiders finished off the drive with a field goal to take a 3-0 lead.

The Silver and Black finished the day with a season-high 156 rushing yards and Abdullah with a career-high 115 rushing yards.

"Did everything that we talked about – control the line of scrimmage, time of possession, not turning the ball over," Head Coach Antonio Pierce said postgame. "The running game, I thought we were very efficient, especially in third down."

"To do that at 30-plus years old, kind of thrown in the fire late in the season, really, hats off to him," Pierce later added of Abdullah. "Really resilient player. True pro. He's been that way throughout the time."

Saints lead 7-6

Second quarter, 3:02

LV 1st-and-10 at LV 20

Once again, not the most spectacular play when you watch it back, but a play that broke a 63-year record.

With the Raiders offense in singleback formation, Brock Bowers lined up at inline tight end, sprinting toward the first-down marker. After the fake handoff on a play action, O'Connell evaded pressure in the pocket, looking to the left side of the field. There he found Bowers breaking open and beating linebacker Demario Davis in coverage. O'Connell hit Bowers in stride off his back foot for a 13-yard gain and the first down.

This catch gave Bowers the NFL record for most receiving yards in a season by a rookie tight end, surpassing Hall of Famer Mike Ditka, who set the standard in 1961.

"I try not to put goals like numbers and stuff," Bowers said of breaking the record. "I just try to ask myself, 'How can I help the team in the best way that I can?' Just catching the ball when it comes to me, that's kind of what I try to think of. I mean, if you're setting numbers goals – I had no clue what to expect coming from college to the NFL, so just trying to help the team."

Later in the third quarter, Bowers caught his 106th reception of the season – breaking the record for most receptions by any rookie in NFL history.

"Consistency comes to mind," O'Connell said of the tight end. "Normally when you see a player who's consistent throughout the week, you can rely on them in the games. He's very routine. ... We ask tight ends to do a lot. I think tight end is one of the hardest positions to play. You've got to learn a lot in the run game and the pass game. Super proud of him. I really can't say enough good things about the guy."

Raiders take 25-10 lead

Fourth quarter, 8:27

LV 3rd-and-6 at NO 18

The Silver and Black would seal the deal with this touchdown pass – arguably O'Connell's best throw of the day.

The offense found themselves in an advantageous spot following a Jack Jones interception that positioned them just past midfield. After getting down in the red zone, they lined up in shotgun formation on 3rd-and-7. The offensive line provided exceptional protection, with O'Connell having nearly five seconds in the pocket before he made his throw.

He found Tre Tucker wide open near the left pylon in the back of the end zone, creating 8.7 yards of separation on the go route. O'Connell held steady in the pocket, throwing a dot for the toe-tapping touchdown, which marked Tucker's third TD of the season.

"I saw the corner kind of grab on to Mike [Mayer] and Aidan just did a phenomenal job rolling out to the left and seeing me and just throwing it up and giving me an opportunity to catch it," Tucker said.

"Overall throughout the game, him just going through his progressions. Very calm in the pocket, didn't have happy feet," Pierce said of O'Connell following the win. "Really, a credit to the O-line of protection. I believe we only gave up one sack and could've probably gotten rid of that ball. For the most part, that group overall has really bought in. We talked about continuity amongst the five. Now, second week of those guys playing consistent football, both in the passing game protection and in the run game."

View the best photos from the Raiders' Week 17 matchup against the New Orleans Saints at Caesars Superdome.

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