It’s easy to see from watching the Las Vegas Raiders this season that the offense is struggling, especially on third down and in the red zone. The statistics paint an incredibly damning picture of the Raiders’ offensive woes so far this year.
#Raiders went 1 for 12 on 3rd downs today. Only games worse w/ Carr at QB:
0 for 11 vs Washington in 2017
0 for 10 vs Miami in 2020— Josh Dubow (@JoshDubowAP) September 25, 2022
With Josh McDaniels as offensive coordinator, last year’s New England Patriots were seventh in the NFL in converting third downs at a rate of 43.95 percent. They were 17th the previous year, with a still respectable rate of 40.86 percent. In fact, until the game at Tennessee, the Raiders ranked sixth in the NFL this year in converting third downs at a clean 50 percent. This game’s third down problems were largely a result of not being able to punch in goal-to-go situations. Perhaps if the Raiders targeted their best offensive player more?
Games w/ Aaron Rodgers at QB on Packers in 2017-21 that Davante Adams had 35 or fewer yards from scrimmage: 1
Games w/ Derek Carr at QB on #Raiders that Adams had 35 or fewer yards from scrimmage: 2 in 3 games
— Josh Dubow (@JoshDubowAP) September 25, 2022
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This is less than ideal, but it’s not like it’s stopping the Raiders from moving the ball through the air. Mack Hollins had another monster game and appeared to be the primary beneficiary of all the attention Adams is receiving. He torched the Titans for eight catches, 158 yards and a score. He’s certainly a capable player, but ignoring Adams seems to be to the team’s detriment, given the success Aaron Rodgers had in forcing the ball Adams’ way.
This is 1st time since Derek Carr's rookie year that #Raiders have lost 3 straight w/ him at QB when the opposing offense scores 24 or fewer each game.
— Josh Dubow (@JoshDubowAP) September 25, 2022
The Raiders’ defense hasn’t exactly been a lockdown unit this season, but they didn’t allow any first-half points against the Arizona Cardinals nor any second-half points against the Titans today. It’s the offense, which has repeatedly bogged down in the red zone in key situations, that has tanked the Raiders’ season to this point.
Josh McDaniels becomes the third full-time #Raiders coach to begin a tenure 0-3. He joins:
Jon Gruden 0-3, 2018
Art Shell 0-2, 2006— Josh Dubow (@JoshDubowAP) September 25, 2022
And all that has led to this: McDaniels being just the latest in a series of Raider coaches to get off to a slow start and have the fans calling for his head. Despite the many issues facing the Raiders, if they had a more effective red zone offense that didn’t settle for field goals, they would likely be at least 2-1 this season. If McDaniels can fix that, the Raiders could rip off a lot of wins in succession. If not, McDaniels could wind up as the next failed Raiders coach.
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*Top Photo: Official Raiders YouTube Channel