It might have taken several seasons, but former Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Khalil Mack got his revenge and got it big as the Las Vegas Raiders dropped their sixth out of seven regular season games, dating back to last season, 24-17 in Los Angeles.
A week after coach Josh McDaniels kicked a questionable field goal from the Pittsburgh Steelers eight-yard line in a loss at home, his team, again, had to come from behind amid inconsistencies on both sides of the ball and ill-timed penalties. Three turnovers didn’t help, either.
Still, with rookie quarterback Aidan O’Connell starting for the injured Jimmy Garoppolo, the Raiders had several chances to pull even to the Chargers, including on their last drive, but came up short again to drop to 1-3.
Aidan O’Connell struggles but delivers, too
O’Connell showed poise in the pocket Sunday, sometimes too much. One of the hallmarks of his impressive play in the preseason was his ability to recognize pressure and get rid of the ball quickly. Against an constant pass rush against the Chargers, O’Connell struggled to get rid of the ball often. He was sacked six times (all by Khalil Mack) had three fumbles (two lost), and the interception at the end of the game from the Chargers 4-yard line.
He passed for 238 yards, going 24-of-39 with one touchdown (rushing) and one interception. These are not exactly Patrick Mahomes-type numbers but O’Connell never showed nerves. Though, the inexperience was evident.
“I just have to do my job better,” O’Connell said after the loss. “I just got to lock in on each play and focus a bit more, trust myself with my timing. I just got to do a better job.”
O’Connell’s initial touchdown as a professional came in the first half when he tied the game at seven with a 1-yard quarterback sneak. O’Connell became the first quarterback in Raiders history to score a rushing touchdown in their NFL debut.
The rookie from Purdue also showed great grit at the end of the game before throwing what would be the game-ending interception.
Asked if he thought he earned another start, O’Connell, in typical regular guy said he wasn’t concerned with that.
“I just need to get better and watch the tape,” he said. “I’m not thinking about that right now.”
Las Vegas Raiders’ Josh McDaniels: We were powerless against Khalil Mack
The dominating performance of Khalil Mack was eye-popping. The six sacks are remarkable but only tell part of the story. Mack dominated every offensive lineman at some point during the game and the Raiders were utterly powerless to stop him. That’s something the coaching staff couldn’t figure out, either.
“We jammed him, chipped him, hit him in the ribs, and do everything we could to disrupt him with a player,” McDaniels said. “We had a tackle assigned to him, too, so you know, he had a great day and we were trying to put people on the right side, and he did better than we did clearly.”
The most disturbing outcome of the Mack domination continues to be the Raiders offensive line’s regression over last year. It struggled to start last season as a newly constructed unit, but it’s been entirely overmatched in three of four games this season. Also, against the Chargers, it was dominated by one player.
Defensive front shows improvement in loss
Lost in the defeat against the Chargers was the improved performance of the Raiders’ defensive front. The Raiders recorded five tackles for loss, two sacks (both by Maxx Crosby) and four quarterback hits.
John Jenkins, Adam Butler, Malcolm Koonce and Issac Rochelle all pressured Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert throughout the game. While the unit didn’t record a sack, it was disruptive enough to help produce the Raiders’ first defensive takeaway when safety Tre’von Moehrig intercepted Herbert in the fourth quarter. The Raiders’ offense could not capitalize and went three and out on the ensuing offensive possesion.
Koonce and linebacker Divine Deablo are getting better and were a key reason why this game was close to the end. The defense held the Chargers scoreless in the second half.
But, without an offense that can consistently score, it will be hard for this defense to keep up.
Related: Las Vegas Raiders standing in Sportsnaut’s NFL power rankings
Las Vegas Raiders Offensive line is regressing at alarming rate
Seven sacks — six by one player — doesn’t indicate good offensive line play. Add in another game when the Raiders were unable to break the 100-yard mark in the rushing game and were 1-11 on third down, and it’s evident the Las Vegas offensive line is in crisis.
Consider this: the Chargers have one of the worst defenses against the run (28th) and had yielded over 800 yards to wide receivers in three games before Sunday. Yet the Raiders, with a rookie quarterback starting for the first time, could not generate a consistent offensive threat against LA’s floundering defense that was short two of its best players. O’Connell was constantly under pressure and Mack made them look like a semi-pro unit.
Every single offensive lineman struggled in this one. That’s a big worry for this team who is teetering on the edge of the abyss for 2023.
Same excuses come with another loss
The growing frustration with the lack of improvement and results from McDaniels will only intensify over the next week before the Raider take on Green Bay at home on Monday Night Football.
Las Vegas has lost seven of its last nine games since last year. They are only 7-14 since McDaniels arrived last season. Patience would be given if not for the fact the unit appears to be going backward in almost every facet of the game.
When McDaniels inherited an offense that ranked in the Top 10 of the league, observers thought it could be even better with the coach’s offensive resume. Instead, in 21 games, the offense is ranked 28th and has just seven touchdowns in four games.
Uneven play calling, lack of discipline and weak fundamentals have all cast a shadow on McDaniels and his staff’s efforts.
Despite the seemingly backward trend of the Raiders on the field, there’s no indication owner Mark Davis is displeased with McDaniels.