The Las Vegas Raiders are off to a rough start. You could even describe it as disappointing when you take into account the expectations placed on them by fans and the media. One person that didn’t mince words recently was ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith, who is no stranger to riling Raider Nation’s feathers. Let’s take a look at what he said about the Raiders in this trending NFL news story.
While discussing the biggest letdowns of the 2022 season so far with Michael Irvin, Smith stated that the Raiders currently hold that title for him.
“The most disappointing thus far? I’m not going to lie to you. I’m going to pick the Raiders. That’s how I feel. Derek Carr was supposed to be arriving. Josh McDaniels is there. He’s an offensive mind that has been considered pretty close to brilliant all these years in New England. You’ve got Davante Adams. He’s an elite receiver. You still have Hunter Renfrow and Josh Jacobs in the backfield.”
NFL News: Is Stephen A. Smith right about the Raiders thus far?
For all of the offseason hype about having a loaded offense, Josh McDaniels, the new head coach, has yet to put it all together. Against both the Los Angeles Chargers and Arizona Cardinals, he’s been criticized for a lack of commitment to the run game. This is especially true down the stretch in the second half. When it comes to Davante Adams, he was clearly the focus in Week 1 with double-digit-plus targets. Yesterday, the Raiders went with a more balanced aerial attack in the first half, only for it to fall apart in the second when the aggressiveness was taken down a notch.
The other issue is the AFC West. As Smith also pointed out, he made a preseason observation that the Silver and Black could potentially end up in last place in their division. That wouldn’t be due to a lack of talent, but how loaded the West currently is. Unfortunately for the Raiders, they’re not making it any easier on themselves right now, two weeks into the regular season.
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*Top Photo: ESPN’s First Take