The Las Vegas Raiders have plenty of problems this season, with their offense being the team’s biggest issue. The Raiders head into Week 11 ranking third-to-last in yards per game (272.7) and second-to-last
in points per game (15.4). On top of that, Las Vegas hit a new low when it comes to moving the ball and lighting up the scoreboard last Thursday, accounting for 188 yards and just seven points against the Denver Broncos.
So, it shouldn’t come as much of a surprise that the Silver and Black continue to slide in NFL Power Rankings, primarily due to their offensive struggles.
The Athletic
28. Las Vegas Raiders
Last week: 26
Breakout player: Tre Tucker
It’s been tough to stand out on this awful Raiders offense, but Tucker is trying. The third-year wide receiver leads Las Vegas with 34 catches for 455 yards and four touchdowns. He’s fewer than 100 yards from a career high in yardage, and he has already topped his previous mark in touchdowns. — Josh Kendall and Chad Graff
I’ve enjoyed watching Tucker grow and agree he’s the Raiders’ breakout player this year. However, the fact that a guy who is averaging 50.6 yards per game and won’t even crack 900 yards if he maintains that pace is the team’s top choice tells you all you need to know about the state of this ball club. Tucker has a bright future, but Las Vegas’ offense will continue to be an issue until it solves the quarterback problem. I know what you’re thinking, ground-breaking analysis!
NFL.com
28. Las Vegas Raiders
Last week: 27
It’s sad that the Raiders’ best defensive effort of the season — by a longshot — went to waste in the 10-7 loss Thursday in Denver. The offense just hasn’t done enough this season, with or without Brock Bowers on the field. Bowers played Thursday, hauling in the team’s second-longest catch of the game early in the second quarter … and then wasn’t targeted for the rest of the game. I mean, come on. Geno Smith is up to 12 interceptions and clearly hasn’t proven to be the guy. Ashton Jeanty had a 32-yard run called back, and the Raiders were down to two backup guards by game’s end, but Chip Kelly has to find solutions fast, or this unit could look vastly different a year from now. — Eric Edholm
Edholm points out Jack Bech’s hold that wiped away Jeanty’s long run, which highlights how big a factor penalties were last Thursday. While both teams were flagged 11 times, the Raiders accounted for five more penalty yards than the Broncos (83 to 78), and don’t have the roster to overcome that many mistakes to pull off an upset on the road. What’s even more frustrating is that Las Vegas “only” averages seven penalties a game this season, per TeamRankings, so the team was especially undisciplined in Denver.
Bleacher Report
28. Las Vegas Raiders
Last week: 27
You can count on the Raiders to find a new way to lose each and every week. In Week 9. Vegas played maybe its best game of the year offensively, but the defense couldn’t get stops in an overtime loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars. In Week 10, the defense showed up in Denver, but the offense was apparently still at the Bellagio.
The addition of Geno Smith has been another waste of time under center. He failed to throw for 150 yards and was dropped six times Thursday. Offensive coordinator Chip Kelly’s scheme has been as predictable as it has unproductive.
It’s another lost year for a lost franchise being led by the NFL’s oldest head coach. The Raiders need torn down to the studs and rebuilt from the ground up—and Pete Carroll may not be the best man for that sort of multi-year effort. — Gary Davenport
Without actually stating it, Davenport says the word that Raider Nation is tired of hearing: rebuild.
I get it, it’s been over 20 years of the same lip service, only to get middling results with just two playoff berths since the Super Bowl appearance in the 2002 season. But the fact of the matter is that the franchise has to keep trying different rebuilds to create a sustainable winning team. The problem is that this is the issue with hiring a 74-year-old head coach. It’s fair to question if Carroll has the time and patience to engineer a rebuild at this stage in his career, since he’ll be halfway to 80 by next September.
ESPN
31. Las Vegas Raiders
Last week: 28
Non-QB MVP: DE Maxx Crosby
This shouldn’t come as a surprise, of course. Even though Crosby currently has a career-low pressure rate (9.3%), he has still been the Raiders’ best player. He has totaled 28 pressures, 13 quarterback hits and 5 sacks. He also has the third-most tackles for loss (13) in the league. Crosby’s best performance this season came in Week 4 against the Bears. In that game, he totaled five tackles (three for loss), three passes deflections, a forced fumble and an interception. — Ryan McFadden
Shifting gears to the defense, Crosby is undoubtedly the Raiders’ MVP this season, even if quarterbacks are included. The reason he’s at a career-low pressure rate is because he’s the only defensive lineman (and defensive player, for that matter) who opposing offenses respect. This offseason, Las Vegas desperately needs to find another reliable pass-rusher who can take advantage of the one-on-one opportunities that occur while playing on the same defensive line as Crosby.
Sports Illustrated
31. Las Vegas Raiders
Last week: 26
A few weeks after reading, I still can’t stop thinking about this incredible Dan Pompei feature on Robert Gallery, a former high draft pick of the Raiders. Give it some time. — Conor Orr
While no analysis of the current team is present here, Orr highlights a powerful article from The Athletic, where Gallery opens up about his struggles with mental health. That’s especially important with the recent news about Dallas Cowboys’ defensive end Marshawn Kneeland.
“Gallery came to the crosswalk on Highway 89, which borders Lake Tahoe and runs toward Emerald Bay,” Pompei wrote. “The street was busy with construction traffic, school buses and 9-to-5ers sipping lattes and checking their hair in rearview mirrors. As he waited for a break, a semi-truck came barreling through.
“That’s when the thought hit him.
“What if I step in front of the semi? I’ll be killed, and it will look like an accident. No one will think I’m a coward.”
If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health, please don’t be afraid to ask for help.
