The Raiders’ roller-coaster ride continued Sunday.
They’ve preached consistency, but have yet to find a way to bring that to the field.
The Raiders, a week after pulling a stunning 26-23 road upset over the Ravens, returned home and were blown out by the previously winless Panthers in their home opener at Allegiant Stadium.
There was a lack of urgency on defense. An absence of imagination on offense. Plus a sprinkle of overconfidence. All of it led to an ugly 36-22 loss that wasn’t as close as the score would suggest.
Everyone on the Raiders, from coach Antonio Pierce to the players, bemoaned the team’s lack of execution in all three phases. The tape told a similar story. Here’s a closer look at the loss.
Putting it into perspective
The Raiders’ game film could not have been fun to watch, something defensive tackle Christian Wilkins alluded to Monday.
“If you want to get better, and if you want to improve as individuals, and ultimately as a team, then you’ve got to watch it with a critical eye,” Wilkins said. “As tough as it is after a loss, or after a bad game, you’ve got to take it on the chin and just suck it up and just be better moving forward.”
The Raiders hope their viewing experience this week prevents similar horror movies in the future.
Star of the game
One positive was the play of left tackle Kolton Miller, though the offensive line as a whole was much better at pass protection than run blocking.
But the Raiders’ clear standout Sunday was second-year wide receiver Tre Tucker.
His 54-yard catch on a deep ball in the first quarter obviously stood out. That wasn’t his only contribution, however, as Tucker finished with seven catches for 96 yards and a touchdown.
His emergence could be a good sign for the Raiders’ offense. Tucker’s speed has the potential to create openings for the rest of the team’s weapons.
Play of the game
The Raiders had a lot of bad plays in the loss, but there were at least a few solid reps.
One showed how much one of the team’s younger players has grown.
Carolina was facing a third-and-2 from the Raiders’ 49-yard line its second possession and second-year cornerback Jakorian Bennett was isolated on one side of the field with wide receiver Diontae Johnson. It was clear the Panthers wanted to go after Bennett.
The 2023 fourth-round pick trailed Johnson across the field and broke up quarterback Andy Dalton’s pass to force a punt.
Bennett may not have had the confidence to make that play last year. He had several bad reps Sunday like the majority of his teammates, but that stop is something he can build on.
Drive of the game
This is a pretty easy call.
The Raiders had three scoring drives, and one came on their final possession with backup quarterback Aidan O’Connell in the game. That means their 10-play, 98-yard drive in the second quarter stands out.
The possession included Tucker’s 54-yard catch, but that wasn’t the Raiders’ only highlight.
Quarterback Gardner Minshew converted a third down with a pass to running back Alexander Mattison. Running back Zamir White had his longest run of the game — a gain of nine yards — right after Tucker’s catch. Minshew scrambled for a first down on a third-and-4 to give his team a fresh set of downs at the 2-yard line.
The drive was a brief window into what the Raiders want their offense to look like. Downfield passes. Strong runs. Efficient plays on third down.
The success just proved to be fleeting.
What were they thinking?
A great deal was made of Pierce saying after the game that a few players made “business decisions” and shied away from physicality when the score was out of hand.
Internet sleuths found one example of cornerback Jack Jones getting out of running back Chuba Hubbard’s way on a fourth-quarter run. The play didn’t look good, but Jones wasn’t alone. Several players appeared to stop going all-out to make tackles late in the game and the defensive line was getting pushed around with ease.
One notable exception was cornerback Nate Hobbs, who never let up.
Jones, in fairness, delivered some big hits throughout the game and appeared to be shaken up numerous times. He also made a diving tackle to save a touchdown in the third quarter.
Observations
■ Maxx Crosby’s injured ankle was a major problem for the Raiders’ defense. Crosby typically plays every snap and draws a significant amount of attention from opposing offenses, which frees up his teammates to make plays. He had to take several plays off Sunday and appeared affected by his injury when he was on the field. He didn’t have anywhere near his usual impact.
■ The Raiders probably tried too hard to establish the run Sunday. They forced the issue even when facing stacked boxes near the line of scrimmage. What made matters worse was how often the team had unsuccessful runs on first and second down, leading to a pass on third-and-medium or third-and-long. It was far too predictable.
■ Missed tackles were a real problem. Even reliable defenders like linebacker Robert Spillane had ball carriers bounce off them. The team had similar issues with dropped passes. Cornerback Troy Hill knocked a ball out of wide receiver Davante Adams’ hands on one third down to end a drive. It was a good defensive play, but it’s something that rarely happens to Adams.
■ The end of the first half was a complete disaster for the Raiders. They got the ball back with 1:53 on the clock, trailing 14-7. Somehow it was the Panthers who ended up with a touchdown before halftime. That just can’t happen. An offensive pass interference penalty put the Raiders behind the sticks. Carolina smelled blood, sacked Minshew and used its first two timeouts on defense to make sure it got the ball back with time on the clock. The Panthers then needed only four plays to go 68 yards and score to enter the break with a 21-7 lead.
■ O’Connell’s lone drive resulted in a touchdown, but it was a bit of a mess. He rolled into a sack when he still had time in the pocket and almost threw an interception right before his touchdown pass. He made several nice throws as well.
Looking ahead
The Raiders (1-2) will stay home and host another disappointing AFC squad at Allegiant Stadium in Week 4 in the Cleveland Browns (1-2).
Contact Adam Hill at [email protected]. Follow @AdamHillLVRJ on X.
Up next
Who: Browns at Raiders
When: 1:25 p.m. Sunday
Where: Allegiant Stadium
TV: CBS
Radio: KRLV-AM (920), KOMP-FM (92.3)
Line: Browns -1; total 37
