2024 Week 14: Raiders 13, Buccaneers 28
Tampa won by 15, but they were lucky to have won at all. Vegas had a bunch of chances to try and take control of the game but always found some way to screw it up. After the half LV was down 14-10 and driving, but threw an INT in the endzone. TB scored a touchdown on the ensuing drive and that was about the end of LVs competitiveness.
Vegas (2-11) always plays a team close but ends up losing the game. Just like the Panthers have done recently. This scrappy nature I think gets them a win against the Jaguars, and that may be it for the year, then Antonio Pierce will be fired on ‘Black Monday’.
Tampa Bay (7-6) once again let a bad team keep it close but they found a way to win and grabbed first place in the NFC South while doing so. The division title for NFC South will come down to Tampa or Atlanta, and it could go either way… both teams are looking weak right now so it will likely come down to their Week 18 games. If they tie, Atlanta has the tiebreaker from sweeping TB this season.
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QB Report:
- Aidan O’Connell (11/19 for 104 yards, 1 INT) played about 2/3rds of this game before an injury ended his day. As of right now it’s looking like Desmond Ridder (12/18 for 101 yards) will be the starter this weekend, but AOC isn’t out of the question. If Ridder gets the start, there’s a slight downgrade for everything in the offense, but Ridder can run fairly well which might add a little wrinkle to this offense… who am I kidding, the Raiders have no idea how to capitalize on that.
RB Report:
- This is probably the part where you’d expect me to rave about Rachaad White (17-90-1; 2 catches for 19 yards, 1 TD) and talk about how much better he is than Bucky Irving (4-3-0; 1 catch for 15 yards)... but I have a new song to sing about the Tampa backfield. I now believe that Sean Tucker (3-47-0) is the best running back on the Bucs. White is the most complete, but from a pure running standpoint, it’s Tucker, White, and then Irving. Don’t get me wrong, I still love White and think he’s a great back, but Tucker runs the ball better. Remember that game he single-handedly won for Tampa a few months ago? No one else seems to.
- Sincere McCormick (15-78-0; 2 catches for 11 yards) actually looked pretty decent in this game, and TB isn’t a total pushover on the ground like they are through the air. If I knew Antonio Pierce was going to be the HC for LV next year I’d have some deeper Dynasty interest in him but I think it’s guaranteed AP is fired at the end of the season so no reason to waste a roster spot on him.
WR Report:
- In my waiver piece I mentioned I’d delve into the tape and look at the Baker-Jalen McMillan (4-59-2/7) connection to see if there was anything there or not, I have officially settled on… not yet. Baker has a nice connection with Otton, Evans, and White so McMillan is the odd man out right now. I can totally see something happening next year, but Chris Godwin needs to not be in Tampa for that to happen.
D/ST Report:
- Just as I had suspected, the Tampa defense is starting to take advantage of their week schedule. They are the #7 D/ST in PPG since week 12.
image source: (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)