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Despite having their travel plans uncomfortably delayed, the Las Vegas Raiders earned a 25-10 road victory against the New Orleans Saints on Sunday afternoon. The team's 1 a.m. flight arrival time compounded the physical stress that was already being thrust upon cornerback Nate Hobbs.
The 2021 fifth-round draft pick missed Week 16 due to illness, and his condition only worsened a few days later. Hobbs was hospitalized on Thursday with pneumonia, per The Athletic's Tashan Reed, raising serious questions about his availability versus the Saints. He amazingly returned to practice on Friday and played 41 snaps in the Caesars Superdome, recording four total tackles.
Hobbs displayed stunning resolve, exemplifying the toughness that characterized the Raiders during their heyday. San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Deebo Samuel experienced a similar health scare when he was hospitalized with pneumonia earlier in October. NFL players can be faced with extreme physical challenges, and Hobbs was put through the wringer this past week.
Because he was sidelined for the team's 19-14 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars the previous Sunday, this was the first time the 25-year-old was part of a Las Vegas triumph since Sept. 29. Nate Hobbs surely relished in the euphoria after a trying lead-up to the game. Fans might not feel the same way about the outcome, however.
Raiders drift further away from No. 1 draft pick
The 4-12 Raiders, on the strength of Aidan O'Connell's two passing touchdowns, Ameer Abdullah's 115 rushing yards, the secondary's impressive outing and Brock Bowers' historic feats, secured their second straight victory. They are now currently slated to pick from the No. 8 position in the 2025 NFL Draft, a stark change from the top-two standing they possessed only two weeks ago.
The likelihood that this franchise will select a quarterback in April is becoming harder to buy following this latest development. A win versus a Los Angeles Chargers squad that might not have anything to play for in the regular season finale would make it incredibly difficult for Vegas to trade up for one of the top QBs in the draft. The more plausible scenario would probably be preserving future assets and taking a mid-round signal-caller who can compete with O'Connell for the starting job.
Frustration is bound to hit a large portion of Raider Nation. Fans are understandably hesitant to put much stock into a late-season surge after seeing the non-effect last year's run had on this campaign. But O'Connell and company are showing impressive fight. Just look at Nate Hobbs.
That man certainly did not view a road matchup against a five-win team as “meaningless.” He was intent on pushing through whatever misery he was feeling and leaving New Orleans on a positive note, as were the rest of the Raiders. They must figure out how to transfer this momentum into next season, though. Otherwise, the franchise and its fan base could be stuck in the same disconcerting cycle.
