REPORT: Where do the Raiders Rank After 2nd Consecutive Win?

As the season comes to an end, the Las Vegas have strung together two consecutive wins. Have they moved up in recent power rankings?

Dec 29, 2024; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; Las Vegas Raiders safety Thomas Harper (34) celebrates after an interception against the New Orleans Saints during the second half at Caesars Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images / Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

The Las Vegas Raiders have had a challenging season filled with injuries and a massive losing streak. Although there have not been many positives for Las Vegas to celebrate this season, things have started to look up over the past few weeks.

Vinnie Iyer of the Sporting News recently released his weekly power rankings following Week 17's slate of games. While the Raiders have spent most of the season near the bottom of the rankings, their two consecutive wins have garnered them some respect.

Iyer ranked the Raiders as the 23rd-best team in the National Football League. While that is still near the bottom, it is still a far cry from being considered one of the league's absolute worst teams.

However, while his ranking for the Raiders is fair and favorable, Iyer was not swayed by second-year quarterback Aidan O'Connell's most recent performance against the New Orleans Saints.

O'Connell completed 20 of his 35 passes for 242 yards, two touchdowns, and no interceptions. He finished the game with nearly a 98.0 passer and an 89.3 quarterback rating.

It was undoubtedly one of O'Connell's best performances of his career. Still, Iyer was not impressed by the small sample size.

"Aidan O'Connell hasn't done quite enough to get a further extended look as their franchise QB, but the Raiders have proved to have a pretty good foundation at the skill positions if they can add a feature runner and top wide receiver for 2025," Iyer said.

The Raiders may have beaten two of the worst teams in the league while on their two-game winning streak, but that is irrelevant for a team many thought was the worst team in the league at one point this season. A team coming off a 10-game losing streak could care less about the caliber of the opponent they beat after months of losing.

Head coach Antonio Pierce and the Raiders aim to add to their win total with another win this Sunday against the Los Angeles Chargers. While they will likely enter the game as underdogs, the Raiders still have a chance to pull off an upset.

With plenty of uncertainty surrounding the team this upcoming offseason, a win to end the season would go a long way for everyone involved.

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