The Las Vegas Raiders snapped a four-game losing streak with a 38-33 comeback victory over the New York Jets, improving to 4-4 and putting themselves in playoff consideration a week before the NFL trade deadline. The win staved off a potential fire sale and allows the team to approach the deadline open-minded but not desperate, sitting one game behind the New England Patriots for the No. 7 seed in the AFC.
Quarterback Kirk Cousins led the rally with three second-half touchdowns. The 38-year-old ranks second in the league with 19 passing touchdowns, third with 2,124 passing yards and seventh with a 101.4 passer rating. His performance has bought him more time as the starter, with head coach Klint Kubiak expected to keep riding Cousins' arm while rookie first-rounder Fernando Mendoza waits.
The victory also highlighted a shift in the backfield. Rookie Mike Washington Jr. has taken over as the primary runner, while Ashton Jeanty has become the preferred third-down, pass-catching back. Jeanty caught three passes for 64 yards against the Jets, adding dynamism to an aerial attack that features tight end Brock Bowers.
Despite the win, the Raiders remain a flawed team with an inefficient ground attack averaging three yards per carry and a leaky defense. However, the passing game gives them a chance to pull off victories. As one power ranking noted, "At 4-4, the Raiders can talk themselves into being playoff contenders."
Las Vegas hosts the San Francisco 49ers in Week 9 with the postseason still a meaningful consideration both inside and outside Raiders headquarters.
Sources: Las Vegas Review-Journal
Original reporting: Las Vegas Review-Journal →
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