Revealed Boosts After Setbacks for the Las Vegas Raiders

The 2024 NFL season has tested the Las Vegas Raiders with a three-game October losing streak and key injuries to Johnathan Hankins and Hunter Renfrow. Yet, the team’s defining trait has been the unexpected boosts that followed these setbacks—rookie breakthroughs, tactical tweaks, and stronger cohesion—that turned struggles into growth. Revealed Boosts After Setbacks for the Las Vegas Raiders explores these impactful shifts and how they’ve kept the Raiders in playoff contention.

Revealed Boosts After Setbacks for the Las Vegas Raiders starts with the offensive line’s turnaround post-Week 7 loss to Detroit. The line allowed five sacks and limited Josh Jacobs to 38 rushing yards that game, spurring coach Carmen Bricillo’s focus on communication and blocking fixes. Over the next six games, they allowed just seven sacks (third-fewest in the NFL) and lifted the run game to 135 yards per game (up from 92). Rookie Jason Brooks stabilized left tackle, allowing one sack in five starts. “That loss brought us together—we stopped pointing fingers and fixed what was broken,” Brooks said. The resurgence protected Aidan O’Connell and balanced the offense.

Another key boost was rookie Byron Young’s emergence after Hankins’ Week 14 knee injury. Young, who played 28% of snaps before, stepped into the starting role and shined: two sacks, six tackles, and a forced fumble in his first start (AFC Defensive Rookie of the Week), plus four sacks over four games. He prepped with film sessions and veteran advice. “Losing Johnathan gave me a chance to prove myself,” Young said. His play turned a defensive gap into a long-term strength.

A highlight in Revealed Boosts After Setbacks for the Las Vegas Raiders is the passing game’s diversity after Week 10’s Chiefs loss. Over-reliance on Davante Adams (14 targets, 62 yards) left the attack stagnant, so coordinator Mick Lombardi spread the ball. In the next five games, Jakobi Meyers and Tank Dell combined for 42 catches and three touchdowns (up from 21 catches, 0 TDs prior), and two-tight end sets added mismatches. “We stopped leaning on Davante alone—defenses can’t key on one player now,” Lombardi said. This kept Adams fresh and made the offense more consistent.

Another surprise boost was special teams’ improvement after Week 9’s Green Bay loss, where Brandon McManus’ missed field goal and AJ Cole’s 19-yard punt cost the win. Coordinator Tom McMahon added extra reps and film focus, leading to McManus making 12 of 13 field goals (including a 58-yarder) and Cole’s net average jumping to 45.8 yards (top 10 in the NFL). Xavier Gipson averaged 23.5 yards per kick return post-Devin Duvernay’s injury. “Special teams went from a weakness to a strength,” McManus said. It gave the Raiders critical field position edges.

Wrapping up Revealed Boosts After Setbacks for the Las Vegas Raiders is stronger team cohesion post-October losing streak. Coach Antonio Pierce organized player-only meetings, where Adams and Maxx Crosby emphasized accountability. Players stayed late to practice together, rookies sought veteran advice, and sideline energy surged. “We started playing for each other, not stats,” Adams said. For the Las Vegas Raiders, this unity—though unseen in box scores—lifted practice intensity and in-game execution. These post-setback boosts have made the Raiders a dangerous playoff contender, proving setbacks don’t define a team—how they respond does.