Raiders Do Jaguars Massive Favor in Loss

The Jacksonville Jaguars lost another game, but the Las Vegas Raiders may have actually done them a favor.

Dec 22, 2024; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars running back Travis Etienne Jr. (1) is tackled by Las Vegas Raiders safety Thomas Harper (34) and cornerback Decamerion Richardson (25) during the fourth quarter at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images / Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images

Two weeks ago, a win over the Tennessee Titans meant potential bad news for the Jacksonville Jaguars.

The Jaguars were 3-10 after the Week 14 10-6 loss and projected to pick No. 7 in the 2025 NFL Draft, far outside the Travis Hunter sweepstakes. It seemed like the Jaguars were on a crash course for a pick in the top-10 at best.

Fast forward to this Sunday, and the Las Vegas Raiders did the Jaguars a huge favor in an otherwise embarrassing 19-14 loss. The Jaguars flirted with winning their fourth game of the season, but instead lost their ninth one-score game of the year.

In some ways, the rock-bottom loss should be anything but celebrated. It was the Jaguars' 17th loss in 21 games. showing just how far the Jaguars have cratered as a franchise since making the playoffs in 2022.

"You're right, it's not for the lack of effort, physicality, all that. Those guys do play hard. But the mistakes, penalties, things that just held us back all season," Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson said after the loss.

"I think as coaches, players, it's the frustrating part. Until we get that corrected, obviously there's going to be a lot of long days. We've got to get it fixed."

But when looking at the big picture, it is clear the Raiders helped the Jaguars a great deal on Sunday. The Raiders seemed destined for the No. 1 pick after a 10-game losing streak, and a win on Sunday would have meant the Jaguars could forget Hunter completely. Had the Jaguars won on Sunday, they would be back picking at No. 7 overall.

Instead, the Jaguars lost to the worst team on their schedule record-wise. A game many had circled as a win throughout the entire season turned into a loss, capping the Jaguars' ceiling at 5-12 and, more likely, setting them on course for a 3-14 record.

Thanks to the Raiders, the Jaguars have been pushed closer to a truly elite prospect. And if the Jaguars miss out on Hunter, perhaps now they can land the next best non-quarterback prospect.

Thanks to Vegas, the Jaguars also now could have the chance to benefit from picking behind a team that picks Hunter. That could mean the No. 2 quarterback in the class could be had with the No. 3 pick, making it an incredibly value pick in terms of trade value.

The Raiders may have handed the Jaguars a loss on Sunday, but they did them a big favor all the same.

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