With the Las Vegas Raiders‘ Week 16 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars, they’ve now fallen from No. 1 in the projected draft order for the 2025 NFL Draft to No. 6, according to Tankathon. The team was able to break a 10-game losing streak in the 19-14 win but they’ve significantly hurt their chances of getting the No. 1 pick in the process.
Considering the Raiders have a glaring need at quarterback, many fans have been rooting for the team to lose the rest of their games to ensure they get the No. 1 pick and can pick whichever quarterback they want. However, head coach Antonio Pierce isn’t interested in that discussion.
Following the win, Pierce had a blunt response when asked about the fans hoping for Las Vegas to lose.
“Talk to Tom Telesco,” Pierce said in his postgame press conference.
Pierce hasn’t had much to say about the future of the franchise this season and has directed such questions to the general manager throughout the year. The coach isn’t guaranteed to return next season so there’s no reason for him to be worrying about draft order. That said, a win over the Jaguars now has major ramifications for the future of the franchise but for now, the team appears to be all smiles.
Does This Win Help Antonio Pierce?
It’s been a rough first year for Pierce as the full-time head coach. He’s now 3-12 and the Raiders are tied for the second-worst record in the NFL.
Las Vegas has been bad but it’s clear that the players haven’t given up on Pierce yet. He knows how to push the right buttons to keep players motivated. The problem facing him is that is just one aspect of being a head coach.
Even though the Raiders won, they still couldn’t score over 20 points and were playing very sloppy football. This win over the Jaguars will only help Pierce’s chances of coming back but it’s still far from a guarantee that he’ll be back. Jacksonville is one of the NFL’s worst teams and is starting a backup quarterback right now so this is hardly a marquee win for the coach.
What’s Next for Raiders?
The Raiders face the New Orleans Saints in Week 17 and then the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 18. A win over one of those teams would give owner Mark Davis more of a reason to keep Pierce for another season.
The Saints have had a rough season and could be starting a backup quarterback against the Raiders. That will be a winnable game for Las Vegas. The Chargers are one of the top teams in the AFC right now and will be tough to beat unless they rest starters ahead of the playoffs.
If they do decide to keep their starters out, the Raiders could be looking at a three-game winning streak to end the year. While that would disastrous for their draft position, it would likely be enough for Pierce to be brought back next season. The future is grim for the Raiders and winning two more meaningless games to end the year would only hurt the franchise going forward.
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