Raiders’ collapse continues…
Photo by Big Cat Country
Heading into week 9 the Las Vegas Raiders seemed poised to come back from one the most embarrassing moments of the season, being shut out by the New Orleans Saints 24-0 the previous week.
The Raiders opened up the game against the Jacksonville Jaguars with an amazing start by driving down the field for a touchdown, showcasing the special connection between quarterback Derek Carr and wide receiver Devante Adams as he caught a 25 yard touchdown pass. In the second quarter this trend continued as Las Vegas went back into the air and found Adams in the end zone again for a 38 yard reception. By halftime the Raiders had a commanding 20-7 lead over the Jaguars.
After stalling out of the tunnel for the second half, quarterback Trevor Lawrence and company stormed down the field with less than a minute left to kick a field goal to get on the scoreboard. That was the moment when the shift began. The effective offense the Raiders had going in the first half disappeared in the second half, scoring a total of zero points. Star running back Josh Jacobs and the Raiders running game could never find a groove, as he finished with only 67 yards on 17 carries. The Raiders defense did not look very solid as Jags running back Travis Etienne Jr. had his biggest game of the season, posting 109 rushing yards with 2 touchdowns on the ground and two catches for 17 yards in the air. The Raiders defense forced zero turnovers all game and posted no sacks. The only bright spot for the black and silver was Devante Adams with 10 catches for 146 yards.
Now at 2-6, where do the Raiders go from here? In my opinion, the first move is firing head coach Josh McDaniels. He was a questionable choice from the start, and we saw how he did in Denver. He is not getting nearly enough out of this talented offense: where has Renfrow been all season and there are stretches where Adams is not even looked at. I am not sure what the solution is to the Raiders’ problem, but I am convinced that Josh Mcdaniels does not have the answer either.