The Las Vegas Raiders suffered an embarrassing loss to the New Orleans Saints on Sunday, falling 24-0. The repercussions of such a humiliating loss have been felt all week by fans. However, we’ve now heard from both Josh McDaniels and Dave Ziegler. There is a lot of finger-pointing after being shut out in this manner.
After a loss like this, it’s important to focus on and pinpoint exactly what went wrong. Well, one thing at a time. Let’s focus on the run game for the purposes of this publication. Prior to Sunday, the rushing offense was working like a well-oiled machine before suddenly breaking down during their visit to New Orleans.
What happened to the Las Vegas Raiders’ run game in Week 8?
During Sunday’s game against the Saints, Josh McDaniels’ offense rushed for 38 yards as a team, with Josh Jacobs leading the way with 43 yards as the rest of his teammates resulted in negative yardage. It appears that their opponent devised a strategy to slow down the star running back, and it worked. Whether it consisted of filling gaps to prevent Jacobs from running or simply bullying the Raiders offensive line, the Saints neutralized Jacobs.
One guy I think has been better than he's gotten credit for this season is Kentavius Street (91).
The Saints are outflanked on this play. Josh Jacobs is running for a while if Street doesn't meet him in the backfield. pic.twitter.com/tUW6TwfKdj
— Jeff Nowak (@Jeff_Nowak) November 1, 2022
One would think that going up against one of the league’s worst defenses, Jacobs would be able to have another career day. Unfortunately, the Saints’ defense had other ideas. During the game, he simply had nowhere to run. Jacobs either ended up running into a brick wall or getting tackled for a loss. Even though this is bad news for Jacobs, he’s skilled enough to get back on track. Simply put, the team can’t afford another performance like this if they still plan on making a miraculous playoff push, which right now appears unlikely. If the team does wish to make a strong run, it’ll be on Jacobs’ shoulders.
On to Duval, A meeting with the Jaguars awaits
The Silver and Black will face the Jacksonville Jaguars, who have a 13th-ranked defense in terms of rushing yardage, allowing 873 rushing yards and nine rushing touchdowns. This is the same defense that let Melvin Gordon and Latavius Murray run for 101 yards. With the talent this team has in the backfield, there is no reason why the same or a better result can’t happen again.
Speaking of the Jaguars, they currently have a former Raider on their roster in Arden Key. Let’s hope he doesn’t have a revenge game on his mind this Sunday. More importantly, Raider Nation is hoping the team can leave Jacksonville with a win on Sunday and build some momentum for the rest of the season.
The Raiders Are Excelling At One Thing Since 2011: Losing, A Lot
*Top Photo: The Herald Bulletin