Two weeks ago, a Victory over the Tennessee Titans meant potentially bad news for the Jacksonville Jaguars.

The Jaguars were 3-10 after a 10-6 loss in Week 14 and projected to be the No. 7 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, well out of season Travis Hunter Sweepstakes. It seemed like the Jaguars were on a crash course, at best, to secure a spot in the top 10.

Fast forward to this Sunday, and the Las Vegas Raiders have otherwise done the Jaguars a huge favor Embarrassing 19:14 defeat. The Jaguars flirted with winning their fourth game of the season, but instead lost their ninth one-score game of the year.

In some ways, the rock bottom loss should be anything but celebrated. It was the Jaguars’ 17th loss in 21 games. This shows how far the Jaguars have come as a franchise since making the playoffs in 2022.

“You’re right, it’s not the lack of effort, the lack of physicality or all of that. These guys play hard. But the mistakes, penalties, things that have held us back all season,” Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson said after the loss.

“I think as a coach and a player that’s the frustrating part. Of course, it will be many long days before we correct this. We have to fix the problem.”

But when you look at the bigger picture, it’s clear that the Raiders helped the Jaguars a lot on Sunday. The Raiders seemed destined for the No. 1 seed after a 10-game losing streak, and a win on Sunday would have meant the Jaguars had completely forgotten about Hunter. Had the Jaguars won on Sunday, they would be back at No. 7 in the standings.

Instead, the Jaguars lost to the worst team on their schedule. A game that many had considered a win all season turned into a loss, leaving the Jaguars’ ceiling at 5-12 and, more likely, putting them on track for a 3-14 record.

Thanks to the Raiders, the Jaguars are closer to a truly elite prospect. And if the Jaguars miss out on Hunter, they may now be able to land the next best non-quarterback prospect.

Thanks to Vegas, the Jaguars could now also have a chance to capitalize on getting behind a team that selects Hunter. That could mean the No. 2 quarterback could be had in the class with the No. 3 pick, making him an incredibly valuable pick in terms of trade value.

The Raiders may have handed the Jaguars a loss on Sunday, but they still did them a big favor.

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