The bottom has officially fallen out. Rock bottom wasn’t hit in this loss; it was crashed through. The Las Vegas Raiders were defeated by an Indianapolis Colts team that had a coach who was hired midweek and an offensive coordinator who had never called a game. Prior to Sunday’s game, the Colts were in disarray, but thanks to interim head coach Jeff Saturday, they rallied. Unfortunately, they rallied at the expense of the Silver and Black, as well as Raider Nation, which was still clinging to hope.
The Raiders’ offense started late and missed too many chances, and the defense was sliced on the ground and through the air. They gave up a 39-yard run to the not-so-scramble-friendly Matt Ryan. This is as bad as it could get, but there were three who stood out among it all. In particular, two players and, well, the entire coaching staff, to be honest.
The Las Vegas Raiders’ coaching staff has fallen short of expectations
The story has been the same all year for the Raiders. The coaches are getting outcoached each week, and Sunday was no different, and seeing the situation across the field adds some extra sting. Neither side of the ball seemed ready and going from ten to zero made that clear. There seemed to be no energy, and each time the team took the lead, it was quickly given back. There’s a thing called complementary football, and if anybody saw that from the Vegas side, it was fleeting and gone quicker than Usain Bolt.
There are moments in games where sometimes a player doesn’t make the right play, but at some point, the staff needs to lay into the players and light a fuse instead of letting off duds. Many coveted Josh McDaniels and thought Patrick Graham could be special, but their stock has gone down faster than FTX. It was a lethargic performance, and after so many, the coaches need to be held accountable.
What happened to Chandler Jones?
Will Fries vs Chandler Jones in pass protection pic.twitter.com/mba5WjstrW
— Zach Hicks (@ZachHicks2) November 15, 2022
The man was brought in to provide the Raiders with a terrifying edge combo, but instead he has left much to be desired. Chandler Jones could be placed on this list week after week, and against the Colts, his play was nonexistent. He ended the game with two tackles and a missed sack. Luckily, Maxx Crosby was there to clean it up. The former Syracuse product has caught the ire of the fans for his play this season. If there was a game for him to make a return, it was this one. Jones didn’t help a team with a shaky offensive line. It has been a tough season for the team, but this wasn’t supposed to be the case with a two-time All-Pro coming aboard.
Keelan Cole, where art thou?
How is Keelan Cole still here lol
Drops more balls then a bathhouse— Scum ðŸ´â€â˜ ï¸ (@KingBummm) November 14, 2022
With Darren Waller and Hunter Renfrow going on IR, Keelan Cole’s role was likely going to grow. It did, but there was no payoff on Sunday. He did only receive two targets, but one of those was on the last drive, and with so much open space, the ball went through his hands and dropped incomplete. In the punt return department, he had two returns for 17 yards, but nothing to ride home about. He is not always going to get looks, but he can’t drop them when he does. The drop was key on what could’ve been a game-winning drive. There isn’t much asked of the former Jacksonville Jaguar, and his game against the Colts didn’t help his case.
*Top Photo: Yahoo Sports/NFL
