The Las Vegas Raiders‘ season of frustration continued against the Jacksonville Jaguars. The team lost 30-29 in overtime. They battled until the last play, but fell short once again.
There’s been a lot of talk about the Raiders ahead of the upcoming trade deadline. A win against the Jaguars would’ve made the team less likely to give up any key players, but at 2-6, Las Vegas’ playoff dreams are essentially dead.
Defensive end Maxx Crosby has been talked about a lot in trade rumors. The Raiders have said they won’t deal him, and based on a message he put out after the Jaguars loss, it sounds like he’s still planning to be a part of the team going forward.
“Raider Nation I Love Yall With Everything In My Heart & Soul. Yall Deserve Better. Stay As One, It Will Change,” Crosby wrote on X.
That doesn’t sound like a goodbye, but anything is possible. Crosby played another strong game, notching a sack and three tackles for loss. There are some good pieces in place for the Raiders, but they’ve got a lot of stuff to clean up. It’s difficult to know where the team goes from here.
Should Raiders Be Sellers at Trade Deadline?
The Raiders are facing a 7-2 Denver Broncos team on Thursday Night Football this week, so 2-7 is a strong possibility for them. The trade deadline is before that game, so the team has some decisions to make.
At this point, it’s clear the Raiders are going to need a lot of work before they are playoff contenders. There are a few players who should be considered off limits at the trade deadline. The Raiders aren’t going to trade Crosby unless he requests one. He’s too important to the team.
Ashton Jeanty and Brock Bowers are obvious building blocks. Anybody else should at least be in consideration. The only reason to keep Jakobi Meyers is if they think they can get a better compensatory pick in 2027 when he inevitably leaves in free agency in the offseason.
Are Raiders on Right Track?
The Jaguars are not a bad team, and they were also coming off a bye week, so the Raiders didn’t get an advantage there. Losing to them by one point at the end of overtime isn’t the worst loss of the season.
However, the Raiders need to start winning these types of games. Many fans are already wanting to see a change at head coach. If there’s going to be any confidence in Pete Carroll’s staff going forward, the team has to play better under pressure.
The defense is a big concern. They played terribly in the second half against Jacksonville. Carroll has a defensive background, so the expectations were for the defense to be better than what they have been in recent weeks. The group does lack talent, but they couldn’t slow the Jaguars down at all to end the game.
The offense actually did enough to win the game in regulation, but the defense failed them. The Raiders seemed headed in the right direction, but they still need a lot of work.
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