The Las Vegas Raiders did enough to win against a bad team Sunday.
That is not always the case in the NFL. So kudos to Pete Carroll and his crew for that.
The Raiders certainly weren’t perfect, but they
are better than the Tennessee Titans and it should in their 20-10 win at Allegiant Stadium as they broke a four-game losing streak to improve to 2-4 on the season as they won their first home game of the season.
Last week, the woeful Titans snapped a 10-game losing streak dating back to last season as they capitalized on one ridiculous mistake after another at the Arizona Cardinals in a game they had a one-percent win probability in the fourth quarter.
The Titans, now 1-5, had no business winning that game. They had no business winning in Las Vegas on Sunday and to their credit, the Raiders didn’t allow that to happen.
They cashed in on three Tennessee turnovers (rookie quarterback Cam Ward is rough) and they had six sacks.
The Raiders were mostly clean in their paly Sunday and it helped. That will be important moving forward as their schedule toughens. but for now, Carroll has washed the stink of a bad star and they will move forward after dispatching a poor team.
Here are some key aspects of the game:
Nice game by Mayer:
Tight end Michael Mayer had a nice game as he returned from a Week 3 concussion. Starting because star tight end Brock Bowers missed his second straight game with a lingering knee injury, Mayer had five catches for 50 yards and scored a touchdown for the first time since his rookie season in 2023. NFL Media reported Sunday Bowers may not return until after the Raiders’ Week 8 bye. So, Mayer may get a chance to have a big role next week at Kansas City .
Some life in red zone:
The Raiders have struggled in the red zone all season. Yet, they cashed in twice Sunday. That needs to continue.
Cole is effective:
Kudos t0 Las Vegas punter A.J. Cole. He had four punted and they all were downed in inside the Titan’s 20-yard line. He didn’t practice until Friday after suffering a low-ankle sprain last week at Indianapolis.
Good pressure:
The Raiders had six sacks. That was a refreshing change. They will need that type of pressure next week when they face the Chiefs and Patrick Mahomes.
Hurt draft race?
Could this victory come back to haunt the Raiders? if they don’t make the playoffs, they will be looking at the draft pick order and they currently have a worse draft standing that the Titans. Time will tell if this will be any sort of factor. My approach is always this: Win as much as possible and worry about the draft after the season.
Another good defensive start:
Tennessee got the ball and ran it three time and had to punt. The Raiders’ defense is excellent to start games. They have forced three-and outs in five of their first six games. They are the fourth team in the past eight seasons to accomplish that feat. That’s pretty impressive. According to the Raiders’ PR department, the Las Vegas defense has allowed their opponent to under 30 yards on their opening drive for the 10th straight game. That is the longest current streak in the NFL.
Stokes back:
With Eric Stokes back at cornerback, rookie Darien Porter, didn’t play after playing while Stokes was out.
Long drives:
The Raiders’ offense has not been great, but they have strung together some long drives. They had two scoring drives of 13+-play drives Sunday and have five such drives this season.
Big turnovers by Devin White
The Raiders finally got a timely turnover as Cam Ward was strip sacked by Devin White and Tyree Wilson recovered the ball at the Tennessee two-yard line. It setup a touchdown pass from Geno Smith to Michael Mayer to make it 10-0. Then, White picked off Cam Ward to end the first half. AFC Defensive Player of the Week?
Bad offensive first half:
The Titans had 81 yards of offense and the Raiders chipped in with 56 of their own in the first half. According to the Associated Press, it as the lowest combined yards per play average by teams in the first half in the league in four years.
Another long first drive:
Just like last week at Indianapolis, the Las Vegas offense went on a long drive on their first possession of the game. Just like last week, it stalled in the red zone and the Raiders had to settle for a Daniel Carlson field goal. It was a 13-play, 48-yard drive.
Same old thing for Titans:
Tennessee, according to the Associated Press, became the third NFL team this century, to allow point son the an opponent’s first possession of the game in the first six games of the season.
Laulu is balling:
Second-year defensive tackle Jonah Laulu had a sack early in the second quarter. He has four sacks this season. He is the first Raiders’ defensive tackle since Bill Pickel to have four sacks in the first six games of the season. He’s a very nice player.
Caught a break:
Early in the second quarter, It appeared the Titans had a touchdown return on a Smith fumble, but it was ruled his arm was moving forward on the third down, forcing a Raiders punt. Close one.
