NEW ORLEANS — Fans can look at the standings and where teams are projected to pick in next year’s NFL Draft. But players don’t. Sometimes, when losing teams meet in late December, it just comes down to playing for yourself and the guy next to you.
And so it was Sunday afternoon when coach Antonio Pierce said the Las Vegas Raiders “really rallied around him.”
No, not Pierce, though the players have heard all the speculation about his job security and won for the second straight week. He was talking about Ameer Abdullah, a 10-year veteran who has taken on a larger role the last two weeks and delivered the first 100-yard rushing performance of his NFL career against the New Orleans Saints.
Abdullah had 115 yards on 20 carries and three catches for 32 yards in the 25-10 win. This after he had 85 yards and a touchdown in the win over the Jacksonville Jaguars last week that broke a 10-game losing streak.
“He found the fountain of youth,” Pierce said, smiling. “It’s kind of amazing … the dude is 31 years old and we threw him in the fire late in the season. Hats off to him. He is really resilient and a true pro. Great special teams player and returner who gets a chance to start today, and he made the most of it.”
Abdullah started the year as the No. 3 running back on the depth chart and was passed up by practice squad player Sincere McCormick when Alexander Mattison and Zamir White were injured. But he said then that he was the best running back on the team, and he ran like it when his chance finally came.
“I have always been a multi-purpose guy,” Abdullah said. “I never really gotten that load of carries, maybe a couple of times early in my career. … We were beating them up up front, they leaned on them and understood when to come off double-teams and when the backs and the O-line have that kind of synergy, it’s fun to just do your job.”
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Bowers’ record-setting day paces Raiders in win vs. Saints: Takeaways
The offensive line did play well, but it gave Abdullah most of the credit. He was a shot in the arm when this team was flatlining at 2-12 two weeks ago.
“Ameer came out swinging the last two weeks,” left tackle Kolton Miller said. “Attitude, running downhill, yards after catch … he has come in with an attitude and you don’t want to get in his way.”
While Raiders tight end Brock Bowers set NFL records Sunday for rookie receptions and yards for a rookie tight end (and a team record for receptions with 108), the Saints took him away early and the Raiders leaned on Abdullah.
He had 14 touches for 103 yards by halftime and laid the foundation for the team’s success on third down. The Raiders converted on 10 of 18 chances, and Abdullah gained 35 yards on three third-down conversions early (two runs, one catch).
“He had some really gritty runs on third down,” Pierce said.
Quarterback Aidan O’Connell did his part and was calm in the pocket, finding Jakobi Meyers and Tre Tucker for touchdowns and not throwing an interception. And the Raiders defense did its part by shutting out the Saints in the second half.
Granted, the Saints are down a lot of starters and kind of stink, but many thought the Raiders stunk two weeks ago. Now they have the cologne of two straight wins.
And it smells good.
“Usually when you’re 2-12, you’re thinking about Cancun,” Tucker said. “But we came in every day and worked, and that’s a credit to AP. It’s been a hell of a year, but all we wanted to do was win and to get these two feels great. We needed it.”
The win came a day after the team was delayed nine hours Saturday because their plane broke down and had to be replaced.
“We might be delayed, but we’re not going to be denied,” Pierce told the players in his post-game speech.
Abdullah also spoke to the team, with smiling owner Mark Davis behind him, and his reason for the winning streak is simple.
“It just speaks to how much we care about each other,” he said. “We’re not playing for anything, other than for each other. That’s enough for guys to put it on the line and execute at the highest level. I couldn’t be more proud of how these guys came out today.”
Delayed, not denied. #LVvsNO | #RaiderNation pic.twitter.com/H5FVzch2CA
— Las Vegas Raiders (@Raiders) December 29, 2024
Abdullah had been a behind-the-scenes leader his first two years with the Raiders. He had all of 19 carries in those 34 games in 2022 and ’23, and teammates loved hearing about his outside interests: martial arts, spoken word poetry, photography, acting and writing screenplays.
But he reminded everyone Sunday what he does best: weaving his way behind blockers and darting for 5 or 6 yards.
“To have my career-high in Year 10, I am not surprised,” said Abdullah, who was a second-round pick by the Detroit Lions in 2015. “I put a lot of work in, I am very consistent and that’s why I have been able to do it so long and do it at a high level.”
His teammates were excited about the win and Abdullah’s big day — especially because it was the Raiders’ first 100-yard rushing effort of the season.
“It’s really cool to see your running game work like that,” Tucker said. “And this is like Year 50 for Ameer, and it’s very impressive to see him still doing it at a high level.”
They were also excited for Bowers, whose aw-shucks mannerisms belie a beast that has been the team’s most reliable weapon all season.
“He handles the spotlight very well, never gets too high or too low,” Abdullah said. “He has the same routine every day — I’ve actually learned a lot from Brock being here. He just brings his lunch to work and is never satisfied.”
Pierce said Bowers only cares about winning games and has finally had a reason to smile in the last two weeks. The Raiders can close out the season with three straight wins when they host the playoff-bound Los Angeles Chargers next weekend.
“It just shows the mindset of our team,” center Andre James said. “A lot of teams could have given up, but we still work hard every day. You haven’t seen anyone waver.”
And that’s why players wince when they hear all the speculation about Pierce’s job security. After all, the team lost five defensive starters to injury and their best offensive player, Davante Adams, begged out to play with buddy Aaron Rodgers after Week 4.
“I think AP is a great coach, and it’s an organizational effort to win or lose a football game,” Tucker said. “We have just done a better job the last two weeks.”
“He’s been a pillar since he was thrown into the job,” Abdullah said. “He has been consistent in his messaging to us, and he knows what it’s supposed to look like and what good football feels like. That alone holds us to a level of accountability, and we definitely don’t want to let him down.”
Pierce declined to comment on the reports that he is on the hot seat, and said his players deserve credit.
“It was a pure team effort,” Pierce said. “We did everything that we talked about. Controlled the line of scrimmage and time of possession, didn’t turn the ball over. … Just proud of this team and how resilient they are. … They have stuck to the script and our young guys are playing their asses off.”
As well as some 10-year vets.
“This is probably one of the closest teams that I have been on, from a relationship standpoint,” Abdullah said. “We really care about each other. We’ve been through some lowwwwws and we have seen each other at very vulnerable moments. We know how hard each one of us works.
“I know they’re happy for me, and I am just proud to call myself a Raider and to share a locker room with these guys.”
(Top photo: Chris Graythen / Getty Images)
