The Las Vegas Raiders have already had a rough season, but a 31-14 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers exposed the team’s weaknesses. From defense to offense, some issues are typically expected in the early weeks of the league, not Week 13.
During the game, the CBS commentary team made a statement about the Raiders’ defense that quickly went viral on social media:
“This defense looks soft this year.”
It wasn’t just a statement. What happened in the game proved it to be true. The combined scheme of Pete Carroll and defensive coordinator Patrick Graham has forced the Raiders to play more behind the line, but the result has been that the Chargers have run the game at their own pace.
The Chargers converted 12 of 17 third downs, keeping the Raiders’ defense off the field. There was one moment when Quinton Johnson scored a touchdown while dodging Devin White and two safeties, and the Raiders players just looked at each other.
Similarly, in the third quarter, Kemani Vidal surprised the entire stadium with a 59-yard run. The Raiders’ defensive line and secondary were broken down in such a way that it looked like the team hadn’t practiced in a week. Even Pete Carroll admitted after the game that the touchdown was “the team’s backbreaker.” On the other hand, the offense couldn’t do anything special either.
The first game under new interim offensive coordinator Greg Olson also repeated old stories. Geno Smith was under constant pressure; he kept turning the ball over late, resulting in 5 sacks and only 165 yards. The Raiders managed just two of eight third downs in the game.
If anything was better, it was Brock Bowers‘s play. The young tight end caught a brilliant one-handed touchdown and scored two for the team. Jeremy Chin‘s 17 tackles and Max Crosby‘s two sacks were outstanding on defense, but even that couldn’t save the team.
A statement from former head coach Antonio Pierce after the game also attracted a lot of attention. He said:
“This franchise is probably going to take years to recover.”
His indication was clear that the problem is not just coaching, but that a lot needs to be fixed at the top level as well.
Overall, the Raiders now stand at 2-10, and this season is leaving the same old questions: What’s the plan? Will Pete Carroll be in the same position next year? And how long will this team keep making new starts every year?
Next week, the Raiders face the Denver Broncos, who are currently in excellent form, winning nine straight games. This game won’t be easy either.
