Winning is suddenly the new normal in Las Vegas after two straight wins, most recently against the Saints on Sunday. Of course, that won’t offset all the losses the Raiders suffered before their modest resurgence.
However, Pro Football Focus hands out player grades for each game, win or lose. This week’s high score goes to rookie safety Thomas Harper. He played 47 percent of the snaps on defense for Las Vegas and recorded a late interception. He also had three tackles, half a QB sack, a pass defensed, and a QB hit. It added up to a blistering 93.2 grade.
The highest-graded Raiders in Week 17 vs the Saints:
🥇 Thomas Harper – 93.2
🥈 Jackson Powers-Johnson – 90.1
🥉 K'Lavon Chaisson – 85.1
🏅 Ameer Abdullah – 83.8
🏅 Brock Bowers – 75.7 pic.twitter.com/QuGDE2HQmI— PFF Las Vegas Raiders (@PFF_Raiders) December 30, 2024
Defensive end K’Lavon Chaisson joins his fellow defender on the list this week, ranking third with a robust 85.1 score. He had a demonstrative sack of Saints QB Spencer Rattler and also induced a holding penalty on a New Orleans offensive lineman.
Tight end Brock Bowers earned a 75.7 score, good for fifth on the team. He broke three records on Sunday thanks to his seven catches for 77 yards. Running back Ameer Abdullah had a career day of his own and is No. 3 on PFF’s list. The offensive line opened holes for Abdullah, and offensive lineman Jackson Powers-Johnson impressed the most, earning the No. 2 grade this week.
Looking at this list, it’s less of a surprise the Raiders are winning lately. Chaisson, Harper, and Abdullah all have something to prove — Harper was undrafted; Chaisson is a former No. 1 pick who was let go by his former team; and Abdullah is a 10-year veteran who just topped 100 yards in a game for the first time.
Add that factor to a talented mix of Raiders draft picks like Powers-Johnson and Bowers, and there’s plenty of motivation to make some late-season noise in Las Vegas. They’ll try to play spoiler against the Chargers in Los Angeles this Sunday to close the season.