Heading into Monday afternoon’s Christmas Day showdown with the Kansas City Chiefs, the Las Vegas Raiders were double-digit underdogs and had lost each of their previous six matchups in the divisional rivalry. And it sounds like the Raiders were motivated by all of that.
The Raiders were able to defeat the Chiefs by a score of 20-14 thanks to a strong defensive performance including two defensive scores. After the game, interim head coach Antonio Pierce admitted that the team’s recent struggles against the Chiefs played a role in the team’s motivation.
“We talked about it all week,” Pierce said according to Pro Football Talk. “Ill intent. Violence. Physicality. Pain. Enough is enough. I think that was displayed just right there.”
The Raiders had a pretty rough start to the 2023 NFL season that ultimately resulted in the firing of head coach Josh McDaniels. But even though the team is largely out of playoff contention, they’ve had a lot to cheer about in recent weeks.
Last week, the team absolutely blasted the Los Angeles Chargers by a score of 63-21 and this week they took down the top team in the division at home. It’s certainly a way to build momentum for next season.
