The Las Vegas Raiders went into Gillette Stadium for their Week 5 game against the New England Patriots and got the crap kicked out of them 45-17. Up until now, Raiders head coach Klint Kubiak has looked like a prodigy and a whiz kid. However, Sunday in New England was an abject failure in all three phases and for the first time all season, they looked completely unprepared. Since blame starts at the top and rolls downhill, that’s exactly where we are going to start.
Coach Kubiak’s bad day at the
office
“Very disappointing performance from players and coaches” – Klint Kubiak
From the start, the Raiders offense looked lethargic and utterly predictable. Going three-and-out on the first possession, getting out-hustled and straight-up manhandled. A 10 am start time seemed to have an unforeseen effect on Kubiak, who pissed down his leg with bad coaching decisions.
The Raiders’ offense is dysfunctional outside of Brock Bowers and Michael Mayer, being exposed week after week. Before our very eyes. Somehow, Kubiak couldn’t find a way to scheme wide receivers open against fourth- and fifth-string defensive backs. To make matters worse, the Raiders have every intention of standing pat with the group of receivers they have now who aren’t making an impact.
“We did not get it done as a staff as an offense today.” – Klint Kubiak
When the Patriots started blitzing on nearly every play, the offense made no adjustments while the game was still manageable. No blitz beaters and it seemed as though he was content for his offense to roll over and die. Calling run play after run play despite the obvious mismatch of having all 5-8 of Marcus Jones covering 6-4 Bowers one-on-one nearly all game long.
“I abandoned the running game too early and didn’t give it a chance to get going.” – Klint Kubiak
Continuing to trot out an injured Ashton Jeanty and making him the workhorse was stupid. Mike Washington Jr. is averaging 5.0 yards per carry to Jeanty’s 3.4 yards per carry this season. Washington didn’t enter the game until there were three minutes left in the third quarter and the team was down 28 points. Even then, it was for a measly swing pass that went for five yards and he was promptly removed from the game.
Return man Dylan Laube got four times (4) more carries than Washington. Laube, a local kid from New Hampshire, was awarded the opportunity to get a 2-yd touchdown run after a timeout in which Washington was taken off the field. Was it because he was a better pass blocker? Or was it because he was at home in front of family and friends?
Mendoza first action
The highlight of the game for Kubiak came when he finally decided to let his #1 overall draft pick get into the final drive of a blowout loss and get his feet wet a little bit. With 6:06 left in the fourth quarter, Fernando Mendoza entered the game and conducted a no-huddle offense straight down the field. Doing so with poise and command all the way down to the red zone.
A beautiful sideline pass to Malik Benson was ruled incomplete as Benson’s toe-drag swag was not on fleek. He was unable to get his second foot down in bounds. Ultimately, Mendoza came up a yard short on 4th and four on a quarterback scramble. Ending the drive and the game for the Raiders’ offense. When asked about getting Mendoza in for a series, Kubiak had this to say.
“I just wanted to get him some exposure…every rep is valuable for him.”
