Silver And Black Pride
Las Vegas is still searching for answers on offense beyond the quarterback problem
We’re eight games into the season and the Las Vegas Raiders are still searching for answers offensively as they rank 26th in the league with 18.0 points per game. Coincidentally, that’s also around the range of where the Raiders rank in NFL power rankings as the offensive struggles are holding the team back.
29. Las Vegas Raiders
Last week: 26
An inexcusable turnover for Gardner Minshew in the fourth quarter of a one-score game. Over the last two weeks, Minshew has given us the totality of his experience in the world. Last week against the Rams, Minshew posted a -21.2 total EPA and a completion percentage below expectation of 14.3%. This week, he was a net positive 6.2 EPA with a 17.1 completion percentage above expectation. It was this kind of heater I thought he might get on after a disastrous week coming off the bench against Los Angeles. Alas, my bold prediction was for naught and the sometimes spicy Raiders will die a quiet death this year. — Conor Orr
This highlights one of the more frustrating aspects about Gardner Minshew. He wasn’t Las Vegas’ biggest problem on Sunday against the Chiefs, but he’s also cost the team games when they needed him to come through. The volatility in his play speaks to why Minshew has been a backup for the majority of his career.
26. Las Vegas Raiders
Last week: 26
Something Scary: The ground game
The Raiders are averaging 79 rushing yards per game. Since 2000, the only time they have averaged less was in 2014 (77.5 per game). That team went 3-13, and this one might be on the way to that. Alexander Mattison led Las Vegas on Sunday with 14 carries for 15 yards. As a group, the Raiders rushed 26 times for 33 yards. That’s gross. — Josh Kendall
While it’s not as if Mattison and Zamir White are Barry Sanders or Adrian Peterson, the figures above are also an indictment of the offensive line’s performance this season. Collectively, the Raiders have a 52.3 run-blocking grade from Pro Football Focus, the fourth-worst in the NFL.
29. Las Vegas Raiders
Last week: 28
The Raiders had a legitimate chance on Sunday if they’d taken advantage after intercepting Patrick Mahomes near his own end zone while trailing 17-13. But the Chiefs made a goal-line stop, then put together a 19-play, 87-yard field-goal drive that took up nearly 10 minutes. Gardner Minshew coughed up a fumble two plays into the next possession, forcing a worn-out Las Vegas defense back on the field, after which the Chiefs put it away. Two Raiders possessions reached the K.C. 4-yard line, and they only got three points out of them. Minshew is up to 11 turnovers this season, so it will be interesting...
