Silver And Black Pride
A birthday dud.
That’s what Pete Carroll and his Las Vegas Raiders provided in a Monday Night 20-9 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers.
The Silver & Black’s head coach turned 74 and instead of an inspired victory from his football team, he ended up watching his coaching nemesis — Jim Harbaugh — lean on his defensive coordinator Jesse Minter to suffocate Chip Kelly’s Raiders offense as the Bolts zapped the Raiders under the primetime lights.
Minter’s Chargers defense rendered Raiders quarterback Geno Smith supremely flummoxed and his group made plays on the ball to take the ball away as the veteran quarterback ended up with three interceptions to go along with absorbing a trio of sacks.
Kelly tried to be bold, as did Smith, but this go-around, within the friendly confines of Allegiant Stadium, the Raiders instead face planted. A resounding thud even.
It didn’t help that Las Vegas run game — which showed fleeting glimpses of slicing Los Angeles’ defense — was stymied throughout.
But all is not lost. Two weeks of the regular season are in the books and it’s a long road to Week 18.
There is a silver lining: For as ugly as that defeat was for Carroll and his Raiders, all those hideous warts on the football team being exposes for all to see in a Monday night game has the looks of a proper birthday present for the grizzled veteran head coach.
There’s no hiding or excusing the loss: Las Vegas wasn’t sound in all three phases of the game.
But even while the offense stubbed its toe numerous times, the Raiders defense flew around and played with the frenetic energy displayed by the head coach. While the final score makes it appear the Bolts electrocuted the Raiders, a better football team beats the Silver & Black drum to the tune of a three-touchdown advantage.
It’ll be curious to see how the Raiders respond after a defeat at the hands of an AFC West foe.
Let’s hit the quick slants as fast as Chargers linebacker Daiyan Henley took the ball away on the Raiders’ first drive. Along with how swiftly he dropped Smith on a fourth-down pass attempt in which he feigned coverage only to make a beeline towards Las Vegas’ quarterback:
—The trio of interceptions gives Smith a league-leading four interceptions thrown through two games on the young 2025 season. He went 24 of 43 for 180 yards and added 20 yards on five scrambles. The Chargers weren’t going to allow the Raiders to beat them deep like the New England Patriots did in the season-opening loss to Las Vegas.
—Las Vegas tight end Brock Bowers — wearing a knee brace on his left knee — finished with five catches for 38 yards. A meager sum for the talented second-year sensation. Wide receiver Jakobi Meyers led Raiders receiving options with six catches for 68 yards (a long of 25).
—Veteran wide receiver Keenan Allen remains a thorn in the Raiders side. He...
