The Las Vegas Raiders’ Week 3 performance against the Carolina Panthers was nothing short of a debacle. Losing to a winless team that had been regarded as one of the worst in the NFL was not just a surprise—it was a crushing blow to the credibility of this Raiders team.
More specifically, this loss exposed glaring weaknesses in coaching, offensive execution, and defensive effort. When a team is favored and finds itself flat on its face by the final whistle, it’s time to take a hard look at the problems that led to such an embarrassing result.
Raiders’ Pierce continues coaching miscues
Antonio Pierce, in his first full season as head coach, seemed like he was turning a corner with a thrilling Week 2 win over the Baltimore Ravens. But that momentum was short-lived as Pierce’s decision-making once again came into question. His most egregious mistake came in the third quarter when the Raiders faced a fourth-and-2 situation at their own 38-yard line, trailing by 20 points. Instead of seizing the opportunity to keep a crucial drive alive, Pierce chose to punt. The decision was met with boos from frustrated Raiders fans, and rightly so.
With less than three minutes left in the third quarter, and down by three scores, punting the ball was not just a conservative decision—it was an outright capitulation. Anyone watching the game could see that the Raiders’ defense had no answers for Andy Dalton and the Panthers’ offense. Carolina had dominated time of possession, and the defense was gassed. This was a moment where a head coach needed to be bold and show faith in his offense, but Pierce blinked. Predictably, the Panthers drove 84 yards for a touchdown, extending their lead to 26 points and effectively putting the game out of reach.
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This isn’t the first time Pierce’s in-game decision-making has raised eyebrows. He made similarly questionable calls in Week 1, showing a pattern of conservatism that, frankly, has no place in today’s NFL. Aggressiveness, especially when your back is against the wall, is essential, and Pierce has consistently failed to make the right call.
Remember this is the coach who said the identity of his team would be about ill-intent, violence, physicality and pain.
Getsy’s lack an offensive plan that works
The Raiders’ offense was equally culpable in this disaster. For a team loaded with talent at key positions—like wide receiver Davante Adams, rookie tight end Brock Bowers, and speedy slot receiver Tre Tucker—the offensive game plan was as uninspired as it gets. Despite facing a Panthers defense that had given up big plays in its first two games, including massive yardage on the ground, the Raiders failed to capitalize. Their offense was unimaginative, predictable, and ultimately ineffective.
The Raiders running attack is an abject failure through three games. Zamir White had 10 carriers for 34 yards and the struggling offensive line struggled to open running lanes, and there were no adjustments made to get anyone but Alexander Mattison involved in the passing game or on the edges. Luke Getsy continues to fail learning from when his offense does work — like in the fourth quarter last week against the Ravens. Good coaches find ways to get their best players into space. But this Raiders offense seemed content to repeatedly run into the teeth of a Panthers defense that had prepared to stop their anemic run game.
Meanwhile, the forever streaky Gardner Minshew also failed to impress. Minshew, outside of the long pass to Tucker in the first half, could not push the ball downfield. He continually checked down and threw most of his passes between the numbers and for 10+ or fewer yards. His connection with Davante Adams, one of the best receivers in the league, seemed completely out of sync. Adams, who should be dominating a secondary like Carolina’s, finished with just four catches for 40 yards. Where were the deep shots? Where was the creativity? It was a vanilla game plan that any decent defense could predict and shut down, which is exactly what Carolina did.
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The Raiders defense: soft and uninspired
If the offense was bad, the defense was abysmal. The Raiders allowed Panthers quarterback Andy Dalton to look like a Pro Bowler. Dalton, a journeyman quarterback well past his prime, threw for 319 yards and three touchdowns. The Raiders’ secondary, supposedly strengthened in the offseason, looked confused and slow, repeatedly getting beaten in coverage.
Perhaps more concerning than the schematic breakdowns was the overall lack of effort from the Raiders’ defense. Missed tackles were rampant, and several key players appeared to be making what Pierce referred to as “business decisions,” a damning critique from a head coach. When players start protecting themselves instead of playing hard for the team, it’s a clear sign that something is wrong in the locker room. Effort and pride are the cornerstones of any defense, and both were sorely lacking on Sunday.
The defensive front, which should have dominated against a Panthers offensive line that had struggled in previous weeks, was a non-factor. The Raiders managed just two sacks, and neither came at critical moments. Maxx Crosby, the leader of the Raiders’ defense, was largely neutralized, while the rest of the pass rush failed to apply consistent pressure. Without a pass rush, Dalton had all day to pick apart the secondary, and the results were predictable.
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Time for Accountability
After the game, Pierce didn’t mince words, criticizing his players for making “business decisions” and implying that roster changes could be on the horizon. That’s all well and good, but it’s not enough. Pierce himself must take responsibility for this loss. His decision to punt on fourth-and-2 when down by 20 points showed a lack of belief in his team. His failure to adjust the game plan to account for the Panthers’ defensive strategy was inexcusable.
At 1-2, the Raiders are teetering on the edge of irrelevance in a stacked AFC West. The talent on this roster demands better, but it won’t matter if the coaching staff continues to make poor decisions and the players fail to execute with intensity and pride. Pierce has to find a way to fix these issues, or his time as head coach in Las Vegas will be short-lived. The Raiders can’t afford more performances like the one they put on against the Panthers, and neither can their fans.
Scott Gulbransen is an editor and host at Sportsnaut and the longtime host of Silver and Black Today — an Audacy Sports original podcast covering the Las Vegas Raiders.