The Las Vegas Raiders put on a show in the Week 15 edition of Thursday Night Football. They faced the Los Angeles Chargers, with both teams going into this game with 5-8 records. However, this turned into a lopsided contest very early.
Las Vegas Raiders Led 42-0 at Halftime
The Las Vegas Raiders put on a clinic. Thanks to some untimely fumbles by the Los Angeles Chargers, the Raiders were able to build an early lead. They scored 21 points in each of the first two quarters to take a 42-0 lead to the locker room.
However, that apparently was not enough for Raiders head coach Antonio Pierce. An interview with Kaylee Hartung revealed that Pierce told the Raiders to “press the gas pedal even harder” in the second half. Well, the Raiders did that and more.
Raiders Run Up Score in Second Half
Per Antonio Pierce, Las Vegas kept their foot on the gas pedal. They scored the first points of the second half in impressive fashion.
Las Vegas decided to have a little play and use a trick play for their next touchdown. Pierce let WR Jakobi Meyers throw a 3-yard touchdown pass to WR Davante Adams. Keep in mind that the Raiders did this when they were already up 42-0!
It is safe to say they were running up the score as the game got to 49-0 by that point. While the Chargers eventually scored to the relief of their social media team, the game was never close. Las Vegas went on to win this game by a final score of 63-21.
What This Means
For one thing, the Raiders stay alive in the AFC playoff picture. They improve to a 6-8 record and trail the final wild card spots by 1.5 games. However, this game may have been even more important to Antonio Pierce.
Why is that? Rumors have been looming about former Raiders head coach Jon Gruden taking back the job from Antonio Pierce after this season. On top of this, Las Vegas was shut out last week and had lost three straight games going into Thursday Night Football. It is safe to say that the Raiders came out with a strong response.
As for the Chargers? They more than likely lost any realistic playoff chances after tonight’s blowout. If that was not enough, do not be surprised if head coach Brandon Staley is out the door soon.
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