3 Takeaways from Raiders' Week 12 Win vs. Seahawks

The Las Vegas Raiders may have saved their season on Sunday, with their overtime win against the Seattle Seahawks.

At 4-7, the playoffs are still a long shot, but the Raiders have earned back-to-back wins for the first time this year, and this one came against a playoff-caliber opponent. A 10-7 record is still technically possible, and that may be enough to get Las Vegas into the dance.

Perhaps more importantly, though, the Raiders showed that they can outlast a good football team. That should give Las Vegas some confidence heading into next week's pivotal matchup with the Los Angeles Chargers. The Raiders lost a tight one to L.A. in Week 1, and they should feel that winning the rematch is a realistic goal.

It may be too little and too late, but Sunday's game was a must-win, and the Raiders got the victory. Here are our three biggest takeaways from Las Vegas' Week 12 outing against Seattle.

Las Vegas Was Fortunate to Get This one

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Raiders coach Josh McDaniels

Here's why Sunday's win might not signal a turning point for the Raiders. The reality is that Las Vegas was very lucky to even force overtime against Seattle.

The defense played poorly, which is nothing new. Las Vegas came into Week 12 ranked 27th in total defense and 24th in points allowed. In what turned into a shootout, head coach Josh McDaniels made some questionable decisions late, specifically with short-yardage situations.

In the third quarter, Las Vegas took a field goal to tie the game at 27 instead of going for it on 4th-and-1 from the Seattle 7-yard line. In the fourth quarter, the Raiders were stopped on 4th-and-1 from the Las Vegas 48.

Seattle scored a touchdown following the stop and took a seven-point lead.

In overtime, McDaniels called for a field goal on 4th-and-2 from the Seattle 38-yar line, which Daniel Carlson missed. It makes little sense to be aggressive in your own territory but become timid on the opposition's side of the field—especially when field goals weren't going to win this game.

The Raiders also got bailed out a bit when DK Metcalf's 12-yard catch near midfield with roughly a minute remaining was overturned. Had that play stood, Seattle would have had an opportunity to put it away in regulation.

Let's not dismiss the fact that this was an undisciplined game by the Raiders, who logged seven penalties and turned the ball over twice. Sure, everything worked out in the end, but Las Vegas has a lot to address heading into Week 13.

The Raiders Found a Pass Rush

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Raiders DE Maxx Crosby

Now onto the good stuff. One big positive from Sunday's win was that the pass rush finally showed some signs of life. Getting to the quarterback has been a struggle all season, and Las Vegas had just 13 sacks coming into Sunday.

Led by Pro Bowler Maxx Crosby, the Raiders put pressure on quarterback Geno Smith and got to him three different times. The most critical one came immediately after Metcalf's catch was overturned.

With Seattle needing 10 yards to extend a potential game-winning drive, Crosby took down Smith for a five-yard loss. His clutch play forced a punt and, ultimately, overtime.

The Raiders still aren't getting much out of pricey free-agent addition Chandler Jones, who has just a half-sack on the season. He did have a fumble recovery on Sunday, but Jones hasn't been the pass-rushing complement to Crosby that the Raiders need. Las Vegas will still need to find edge help in the offseason.

However, Sunday's performance is something upon which Las Vegas can build. The Raiders got pass-rushing help from Bilal Nichols and Andrew Billings, and they'll need to continue finding ways to augment Crosby moving forward.

If the pass rush can find similar success against the Chargers next week, Las Vegas will have a legitimate chance to move to 5-7 on the season.

The Raiders Are Going to Have to Pay Josh Jacobs

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Raiders RB Josh Jacobs

The hero of Sunday's game was unquestionably running back Josh Jacobs. The 2019 rookie Pro Bowler has returned to form this season, and he had a record-setting day against Seattle.

Jacobs finished with a franchise-record 229 rushing yards, 303 scrimmage yards and scored twice. He also played through a calf injury that he aggravated late in regulation and delivered the winning score in overtime.

"I kind of convinced them I could go," Jacobs said, per ESPN's Paul Gutierrez. "And, you know, the biggest play of the game happened after that."

Jacobs, who is now over 1,100 rushing yards on the season, has been simply fantastic in 2022. That means that if Las Vegas hopes to keep him beyond this year, it is going to have to pay heavily.

The Raiders declined the fifth-year option on Jacobs' rookie contract, which means that the 24-year-old is an impending free agent. Given how well the Alabama product has played, it's hard to believe that general manager Dave Ziegler will simply let him walk.

While Jacobs wasn't selected by the current regime, he's proven that he's a fine fit for McDaniels' offense and a player around which the Raiders can build. Expect Las Vegas to extend a strong contract offer following the season.