Raiders’ quick slants: Panthers edition

Andy Dalton makes easy work of Las Vegas as Carolina rolls to 36-22 win in Allegiant Stadium

And make that 4-0.

That’s the all-time career record veteran quarterback Andy Dalton sports when he’s the starter against the Silver & Black after he led the Carolina Panthers to a convincing 36-22 victory over the host Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday afternoon.

The final score makes it appear close, but from the get, the Red Rifle was sharp as ever as the 36-year-old quarterback immolated the Silver & Black going 26 of 37 (70.3 completion percentage) for 319 yards and three touchdowns and zero interceptions.

Dalton was such a smooth operator for the Panthers (1-2 overall) — who decided to bench last year’s No. 1 overall pick Bryce Young for the vet signal caller — that jokes were flying left and right including how the quarterback somehow became an owner of the Raiders even before Tom Brady did.

That’s how embarrassing of a home opener it was for head coach Antonio Pierce and his Raiders (1-2).

Lack of urgency, lack of effort, and just pure lack of intestinal fortitude once again leaves the loyal Raider Nation fanbase contemplating another face plant from a team that’s pretty much patented let downs after big wins.

Dubbed as the worst team in the NFL before Sunday’s kickoff, Carolina outplayed Las Vegas in almost all three phases of the game: Offense, defense, and special teams. If it weren’t for punter AJ Cole III, it would’ve been a hat trick of dominance for the visiting Panthers.

“We got our ass whopped,” Pierce plainly said in the post game press conference. “We got to put pads on, I don’t know, got to get on the sled. Same group that’s, for the most part, all come back and same technique, same coaches, it’s not a different scheme, so obviously we have to coach better and be some hard asses on the guys and guys have to take some rough coaching because just didn’t see that on either side of the ball.

“We had an opportunity to run the ball and we didn’t. Didn’t do that at all. We tried and tried and tried and I would have booed us, too, offensively, defensively we didn’t do a good enough job up front, not good enough.”

Dalton and the Panthers came out firing on all cylinders and scored on the opening drive. The Raiders answered to tie the game up before the opening quarter closed, but from there on in, it was all Carolina. Dalton found wide out Diontae Johnson eight times for 122 yards and a dime of a five-yard touchdown pass in the second quarter, while running back Chuba Hubbard galloped for 114 yards on 21 carries. Dalton and veteran wide receiver Adam Thielen turned back the clock as the quarterback found the 34-year-old wide receiver for a 31-yard touchdown to follow up the dime to Johnson on the next scoring drive.

So much for the improved Raiders defense, eh?

In total, the Panthers racked up 437 total yards and possessed the ball for 36:02 compared to the Raiders 331-yard total on offense and 23:58 of possession.

“Nothing,” Pierce said when asked did he have any positive takeaways from the defeat.

“Nothing,” Pierce said again when asked to clarify. “Except for the crowd. Thank you Raider Nation, sorry that we didn’t come and do our part.”

Pain. Ill Intent. Violence. That’s Pierce’s go-to line.

Who knew that it had fine print below that reads: “Upon our fanbase.”

Let’s hit the quick slants as fast as Dalton become 5-0 against the Raiders:

—Raiders quarterback Gardner Minshew finished 18 of 28 for 214 yards with a touchdown (to wide receiver Jakobi Meyers) and an awful interception. Backup Aidan O’Connell relieved Minshew after the bad pick and went 9 of 12 for 82 yards and a touchdown pass (to Tre Tucker).

—Tucker and Meyers paced the Raiders pass catchers with nine targets apiece. Tucker finished with seven grabs for 96 yards (a 54-yard long bomb in there, too) while Meyers hauled in seven passes for 62 yards. Davante Adams was also targeted nine times, had untimely drops, and finished with four receptions for 40 yards.

—The Raiders run game continues to be an example of impotence. Zamir White led the group with 10 carries for 34 yards while Minshew added three carries for 14 yards. Alexander Mattison rounded out the ground game with three carries for seven yards and a score. Final tally: 16 carries, 55 yards (3.4 average) and a score.

—Middle linebacker Robert Spillane led Las Vegas defense with 11 total tackles (seven solo) including a sack. Safety Marcus Epps finished with 10 tackles (all solo) but was lost for the game with a knee injury.

—Defensive tackle Christian Wilkins and defensive end Charles Snowden picked up their first sacks as Raiders — albeit a shared one. Both were credited with half a sack on Dalton. Defensive end Maxx Crosby, who said he’s dealing with a high ankle sprain, was quiet with only three total tackles and no sacks.

—Cole was his usual booming self at punter for the Raiders. He blasted the ball five times for 261 yards (52.2 average) with a long of 58 and three of those punts landing inside the Panthers’ 20-yard line. Kicker Daniel Carlson missed his only try of the afternoon — a 57-yard boot that went wide left.

—Dalton’s career numbers passing against the Raiders now reads: 1,027 yards, 10 touchdowns, zero interceptions. Who knows if the Silver & Black will get another shot at the TCU product, but it appears he’ll end his career unbeaten in starts against the Raiders.

Quote of Note:

“No, they didn’t. I think as the game went on — I don’t think it was the team. I think there was definitely some individuals that made business decisions and we’ll make business decisions going forward as well.” —Las Vegas Raiders head coach Antonio Pierce when asked this is the first time the team didn’t show up with him as head honcho