Last Sunday, in a 22-10 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers, the Las Vegas Raiders offense laid a silver and black egg on the field at SoFi Stadium. Head coach Antonio Pierce called the loss a “wake-up call” for the team.
Fortunately for the Raiders, they can correct their mistakes by re-enforcing foundational football principles. On the flip side, they must do it on the road against a Super Bowl contender in Week 2.
The Raiders will get a one-two punch of the Harbaugh brothers. After a physical matchup with Jim Harbaugh’s Chargers, they’ll face John Harbaugh’s well-rested Baltimore Ravens.
Two-time MVP Lamar Jackson and two-time rushing champion Derrick Henry will certainly test the Raiders’ physicality, run-gap discipline and ability to cover the field sideline to sideline. Yet even if the defense does its job against the Ravens’ star playmakers, the offense has to pull its weight and avoid costly mistakes.
Related: NFL coverage map Week 2: NFL TV map, broadcast info for Sunday’s games, best games to watch
Taking care of the ball must be priority No. 1 for the offense
Under head coach Antonio Pierce last season, the Raiders turned the ball over three times in two games, against the Miami Dolphins and Minnesota Vikings. They went 0-2 in those winnable contests, losing by seven and three points, respectively.
If you go back to former head coach Josh McDaniels’ tenure with the team, the Raiders are 0-6, averaging 11.7 points per game when they turn the ball over three times since 2023.
Last Sunday, the offense turned the ball over twice near midfield on fumbles between late in the second quarter and midway through the third quarter. If the Raiders take care of the ball and come away with at least a couple of field goals, they’re in that game until the final drive.
By the way, after the second fumble by running back Zamir White, Daniel Carlson missed a 49-yard field goal attempt.
So, while 10 points looks pathetic on the scoreboard, the Raiders took potential points off the board because of sloppy execution, poor ball security and a missed opportunity.
They can correct all those miscues.
Related: Week 2 fantasy QB rankings: 15 best quarterbacks for fantasy football in NFL Week 2
Raiders still want to be the biggest bully on the block
Even with rookie first-round tight end Brock Bowers’ impressive pro debut, Pierce hasn’t wavered from the team’s intended DNA. During Monday’s press conference, he discussed establishing the run and a “ball control” offense.
“So, when I say ball control, I want to keep our defense fresh, and I want to be able to finish games in the fourth quarter like what happened to us,” Pierce said to reporters. “A big part of our game is our identity and being physical and being stout at the line scrimmage, and that didn’t happen yesterday.”
There is no way to sugarcoat it–the Chargers defensive linemen pushed around the Raiders offensive linemen from the center, going left.
According to Pro Football Focus, left guard Cody Whitehair (five), left tackle Kolton Miller (four) and center Andre James (three) allowed 12 pressures combined.
If the Raiders want to re-establish the run and their offensive identity, the effort starts up front.
In his career, Miller has struggled against the Chargers, particularly when matched up with Khalil Mack in recent games. Coming off shoulder surgery, he’ll likely bounce back and continue to play well at left tackle.
Related: NFL Week 2 predictions: Projecting every game, including, Bills vs Dolphins and Chiefs vs Bengals
James, a former UCLA collegiate tackle listed at 6-4, 300 pounds on the team’s website, tends to struggle against bigger and stronger interior defenders.
Nonetheless, the front office signed James to a three-year, $24 million extension, which indicates the team is fine with his ups and downs in some matchups.
The coaching staff should consider a change at the left guard position.
Whitehair has been on the decline since the 2021 season. In that year, he allowed a career-worst 33 pressures, per Pro Football Focus.
For now, Whitehair is keeping the seat warm until rookie second-rounder Jackson Powers-Johnson can stay healthy enough to develop on the field.
In the meantime, the Raiders may want to consider Andrus Peat, a natural guard who didn’t play well at left tackle during the preseason, or Jordan Meredith. Over the previous two years, Meredith has played 127 snaps at left guard, per Pro Football Focus.
If Pierce wants his squad to rediscover its smashmouth mentality, the interior of the offensive line must be a lot better against the Ravens.
Related: 2024 NFL QB Rankings: Evaluating all 32 quarterbacks ahead of Week 2
Offense needs more big plays until it finds consistency
Of course, quarterbacks need time to allow plays to develop, though offensive coordinator Luke Getsy can make a better effort to utilize his personnel’s speed, specifically Tre Tucker, DJ Turner, and Tyreik McAllister, in space to rack up yards after the catch.
As the Raiders iron out the wrinkles on offense and struggle with consistency, as many would expect with a new starting quarterback and play-caller, they need big plays to offset stalled drives.
An aggressive coordinator doesn’t have to call for a deep shot 40-50 yards downfield. The Raiders have speedy playmakers in Tucker, Turner and McAllister, who can turn short completions into long gains. Getsy has to find ways to get those guys in space if the offensive line isn’t providing adequate pass protection for deep-ball attempts.
As we all saw in the preseason, Minshew completed 48.5 percent of his passes against mostly backups, third-stringers, and players no longer on active rosters. He may struggle to settle in and find his rhythm in some games.
While that wasn’t the case for Minshew against the Chargers, Getsy should do his best to simplify his quarterback’s reads when necessary and allow the explosive playmakers to showcase their speed and elusiveness with the ball in their hands.
Until the Raiders offense finds some sort of consistency, it could be a boom-or-bust unit. Getsy cannot be afraid to get creative early as the team tries to rediscover or find its identity on that side of the ball.
Maurice Moton covers the Raiders for Sportsnaut. You can follow him on Twitter at @MoeMoton.
Related: Top-selling NFL jerseys 2024: Who has the NFL’s best-selling jersey?