The Las Vegas Raiders are back in the win column following a 19-14 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars. The team may have won on the field but they seriously hurt their draft position in the process.
According to Tankathon, they went from having the No. 1 pick before Week 16 to No. 6 now. Owner Mark Davis hasn’t been shy about wanting an upgrade at quarterback but that’ll be difficult to pull now.
In the past, owners have wanted their teams to tank to get a top draft pick but not Davis. According to Tashan Reed and Vic Tafur of The Athletic, the owner was elated after the Raiders’ Sunday win and was in the locker room celebrating with players.
“Way to fight,” Davis told players.
Tafur and Reed also reported that Davis had a big smile on his face. Though the Raiders may not be able to get one of the top quarterbacks in the draft, it’s clear that Davis merely cares about winning. That’s not something that some other owners in the NFL can say. Davis has only seen the Raiders have two winning seasons since taking over the franchise and that’s not going to change this season, but he can be happy about this late-season victory for now.
Kolton Miller & Ameer Abdullah Talk Mark Davis
It’s been months since the last Raiders victory. Even though the win hurts the team more than helps them in the long run, players were very happy to get another win and were even happier to see Davis celebrating with them.
Left tackle Kolton Miller spoke about how refreshing it was to see the owner happy.
“It’s great to see,” Miller said, per Reed and Tafur. “It speaks to the owner backing us and the belief that we have in the team and coaching staff playing for one another. We’re still fighting no matter the record or losing streak. It was great to see the smile on his face, and it means a lot to the players.”
Running back Ameer Abdullah opened up about how much the Raiders mean to Davis.
“(Davis) is committed, man,” Abdullah said. “He is a Raider. His dad’s best friend was the logo, and Mark bleeds Silver and Black. I am glad we can finally share a win with him.”
Raiders Players Have No Interest in Tanking
While many fans would’ve liked to see the Raiders lose the rest of their games and secure the No. 1 pick, it’s impossible to expect players to be on board with that. Wide receiver Jakobi Meyers hears the noise but isn’t about to play less hard.
“We hear what the fans are saying,” Meyers said. “But we’re professionals. We are going to do our best to win every day.”
There are also a lot of players who may not be back next season. Abdullah isn’t under contract so he doesn’t care whether or not the Raiders get a high draft pick.
“Listen, I just work here,” Abdullah said. “And we’re going to try and get another win next week.”
Raiders fans may be down right now but the players have worked hard to earn a win.
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