Sunday was a sobering day for the Las Vegas Raiders.
Not only were they historically beaten by a rival, but there were so many undesirable developments that all point to their first-year head coach Pete Carroll.
It’s been just seven games, but it’s fair to wonder where are the Raiders headed with Carroll, who at 74 is the oldest coach in NFL history. Carroll was brought into give the Raiders veteran stability and he vowed that the plan was to win and win big right away.
But the Raiders are, so far, no better than they were with Antonio Pierce as their coach last season. In fact, the Silver nd Black appeared to have more spunk under Pierce.
They Raiders are listless and look like they are going nowhere. Last week, they ended a four-game losing streak only because they were playing the Tennessee Titans, arguably the worst team in the league. This week, the task was much tougher and the Raiders were no match for Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs as they were shutout 31-0. It was the biggest shutout in the history of the Raiders-Chiefs series.
The Raiders are 2-5 and have scored 103 points and have allowed 180 points this season. Under Pierce last season, at this point, Las Vegas was 2-5 and scored 124 points and allowed 183 points.
There has been no progress made despite the addition of Carroll offensive coordinator Chip Kelly, quarterback Geno Smith and rookie running back Ashton Jeanty. The Raiders were supposed have made big upgrades. So far it hasn’t meant anything.
Both Carroll and Kelly have been major disappointments as has been Smith and the team has been able to get Jeanty going consistently. The Raiders are a big disappointment overall, but the offensive woes are discouraging to say the least.
The Raiders ran 30 offensive plays Sunday. it was the second lowest amount of any NFL team since the 1950s. yes, the 1950s.
They had three first downs. The Chiefs had 30 first downs. Kansas City held the ball for 42 minutes, eight seconds. This was a complete beat down.
The Chiefs were in victory formation with 2:36 remaining in the game and the Raiders had all three timeouts and the two-minute warning. Carroll didn’t even bother to extend the game. Former Raiders’ starter Gardner Minshew replaced Mahomes in the third quarter. This was an all-time worst moment for a franchise with plenty of them in recent memory.
Sunday was a stark reminder that the Raiders are, by far, the worst team in the AFC West. They have now lost eight straight division games dating back to the start of last season. The Raiders are 1-3 on the road this season (all 10 a.m. PT starts) and have been outscored by a total of 112-30 in three straight road losses.
They have been beaten by double digits in four games this season. They have not improved under Carroll. After the game, Carroll said he didn’t see this coming. He has said that before this season. It’s almost as if Carroll has no grasp of what his team is about.
They’re not competing at all. This was the type of game where a coach gets fired at the bye week. But it would be a shock that the Raiders cut ties with Carroll now, but this game was another reminder he hasn’t made a difference. What’s the point of trotting him out again next year if there is no major improvement in the final 10 games in which the Raiders have one of the toughest remaining schedules in the league?
Here are some key aspects of the game:
Crosby update:
Raiders’ star pass-rusher Maxx Crosby didn’t play the second half because of knee and back injuries. He popped up on Friday’s injury report with a back issue. Carroll said after the game that he wasn’t 100 percent so they took him out with the game out of hand The bye week is coming at a good time for Crosby.
No run game:
Jeanty had 21 yards rushing on six carries and the Raiders had just 25 yards rushing as a team. The Chiefs haven’t allowed a 100-yard rusher in the past 26 games. It’s the longest current streak in the league. The last time Kansas City allowed a 100-yard rusher was Zamir White in the Raiders’ epic Christmas Day win at Arrowhead in 2023, White was inactive Sunday.
Trades coming?
The Raiders are definitely a candidate to be be sellers before the November 4 trade deadline. Jakobi Meyers, Malcolm Koonce and Raheem Mostert are potential trade candidates.
Pickett plays:
Like Minshew for the Chiefs, Kenny Pickett finished the game for the Raiders as he replaced Smith in the fourth quarter. Pickett lost a fumble on his first snap. He completed both pass attempts for eight yards. While perhaps it will get to the point where Pickett will replace Smith this season, this had the feel of just a mop-up to finish the game rather than a true benching.
No Arrowhead fight:
Pierce wasn’t good overall, but he had the Raiders feeling confident at Arrowhead Stadium. The Raiders won there in 2023 and barely lost last season. Then, Carroll goes in and his team gets blanked. Ugly look.
More early-day issues:
No matter who is the coach, the Raiders seem to struggle in games that begin at 10 a.m. PT time. They are 1-3 in such games this season. They have one more of those games scheduled, in December at Philadelphia.
Early domination:
On their first two drives, the Chiefs ran 26 plays and went 176 yards for two scores. Mahomes just ate the Raiders alive on the drives. At the two-minute warning, the Chiefs have outgained the Raiders 246 yards to 45 yards . They had 17 first downs. The Raiders had two. On their third drive, the Chiefs went 94 yards and scored. According to The Associated Press, they are the first team this century to start a game with three touchdown drives of more than 80 yards. The Chiefs had 21 first downs and 275 yards in the first half. The Raiders had two first downs and 51 yards. The Raiders had the ball for 9:21 in the first half.
Tricky Pat:
The Chiefs always have something ready for the Raiders (Ring Around the Rosie, anyone?). Sunday, on fourth and short, Mahomes colorfully yelled that a play call wasn’t going to work and then he ran the play and converted.
JPJ benched:
It was a rough game for Raiders’ second-year guard Jackson Powers-Johnson. Chiefs’ star defensive lineman Chris Jones abused him regularly and Powers-Johnson was benched for Alex Cappa early in the fourth quarter. It will be interesting to see if Cappa starts when Las Vegas returns from the bye in Week 9 against visiting Jacksonville.
Not a great defensive start:
The Raiders’ defense had been excellent on the first drive this season as they forced three and outs in five of the first six games. Not so much Sunday. To get going, Raiders’ killer, Kansas City tight end Travis Kelce, got lost in the Raiders’ defense and broke loose for a 44-yard reception into Las Vegas territory. It was on first down and 20. Then, Raiders’ cornerback Kyu Blu Kelly was called for holding. on the next play, Chiefs’ wide receiver Rashee Rice scored on his first drive of the season to give the Chiefs a 7-0 lead with 5:58 to go in the quarter. The Chiefs went 92 yards in nine plays on the drive.
Not a great offensive start:
The Raiders got the ball first, after Kansas City deferred, they started at their own 40, but had to punt after a Jackson Powers-Johnson hold negated a first down on a pass from Geno Smith to rookie Dont’e Thornton. It put them in a third and 17 hole and set the tone for a miserable day.
See More:
