NEW ORLEANS—The Las Vegas Raiders are on a hot streak to end the season.
On Sunday, the Raiders triumphed over the New Orleans Saints 25-10 at Caesars Superdome.
The Raiders go to 4-12 on the season, winning consecutive games for the first time this year. The Saints fall to 5-11, as they failed to make a statement following their shutout loss to the Green Bay Packers in Week 16.
Here are three takeaways from the Raiders during their victory:
Keeping possession
One of the many key parts of the Raiders’ victory was how well they held on to the football.
They won the time of possession battle, holding the ball for over 37 minutes of the game. This allowed the Raiders to control the flow of the game and prevent the Saints from doing anything of note.
The Raiders were also efficient and productive in key situations. They went 10 of 18 on third down conversions, as well as not turning the ball over once. By comparison, the Saints had only one third down conversion on 10 tries and two turnovers.
Second half domination
While the Saints made it a battle in the first half, the second saw the Raiders take complete control.
The third quarter did not see much action for either side, outside of a sack by linebacker Robert Spillane on Saints quarterback Spencer Rattler.
The fourth was where the Raiders got a two-possession lead and showed no signs of letting it go. Starting with an interception by cornerback Jack Jones, the Raiders put together a touchdown drive ending with Aidan O’Connell passing to wide receiver Tre Tucker.
Between the offense clicking late and the defense shutting out the Saints, the second half was arguably the best the Raiders have looked all season.
Abdullah’s big day
One of the best players the Raiders had in this game was veteran running back Ameer Abdullah.
Pushed into a major role with injuries to the running back room, Abdullah put together one of the best games of his career.
Abdullah saw most of the carries in this game, leading the rushing attack with 20 attempts for 115 yards.
Abdullah also served as a nice safety valve option for O’Connell, grabbing three receptions for 32 yards.
The Raiders close out the season against the Los Angeles Chargers next Sunday at Allegiant Stadium.
