Silver And Black Pride
The Las Vegas Raiders seem to find a new low every game, and getting blown out by the Dallas Cowboys on Monday Night Football adds to what’s been an embarrassing season for the organization. Additionally, that’s led to the Raiders continuing to slide in the Week 12 NFL Power Rankings.
31. Las Vegas Raiders
Last week: 31
Who’s under the most pressure: Quarterback Geno Smith
After throwing 12 interceptions in the first nine games, Smith said he wanted to be one of the best in the league at protecting the football during the final eight weeks of the regular season. He added another interception Monday. His ability to keep the ball out of harm’s way will determine whether the offense finds its rhythm and his future with the organization. Whether Smith turns his season around or not, it’s clear the Raiders need to figure out their next plan at quarterback sooner rather than later. — Ryan McFadden
In my opinion, the biggest factor in Smith’s future with the Raiders depends on whether Pete Carroll is the head coach after this season. The 35-year-old quarterback is having his worst season since his rookie year, so I’d imagine a new coach would want to have a hand-picked signal caller. But if Carroll does stay in Las Vegas, Carroll’s made it no secret that Geno is his guy. For the record, the Raiders would save $8 million of cap space and take on $18.5 million of dead cap by releasing Smith this offseason, per Over The Cap.
30. Las Vegas Raiders
Last week: 28
A suggestion: Run the ball, just a little
Ashton Jeanty carried the ball twice in the first half and six times for the game — for 7 yards. The Raiders averaged 2.3 yards per carry as a group. For the season, Jeanty, the No. 6 pick in the draft, is 19th in the league in rushing (554 yards) and averaging 3.7 yards per carry. — Chad Graff and Josh Kendall
Adding to this, the Cowboys came into the game allowing 143.0 rushing yards per game, which ranked 28th in the NFL. Granted, adding Quinnen Williams makes a significant difference, as does the Raiders’ missing two starting offensive linemen—Kolton Miller and Jackson Powers-Johnson. But it’s still mind-boggling why the offense didn’t at least try to run the ball more on Monday night, and Carroll took responsibility for that by saying he had a hand in the offensive game plan.
31. Las Vegas Raiders
Last week: 28
Monday was bad. The Raiders showed spunk early but quickly folded like a chair, allowing four straight touchdown drives and turning a tight game into a blowout. Crummy defensive performances aren’t novel to these Raiders, but this one stuck out, and it probably could have been worse. Not that the offense was above reproach. Geno Smith had some...
