Every week, the Las Vegas Raiders manage to sink to a new low. In the latest installment of “How bad can it get?,” they were routed by a struggling Browns team starting a rookie fifth-round quarterback making his NFL debut. It’s officially time to overreact.
The Raiders Should Have Drafted Shedeur Sanders
Say what you will about the Browns’ rookie quarterback, but he has at least flashed the potential to become a competent NFL starter. He’s young, inexpensive and cost Cleveland only a fifth-round pick. Meanwhile, Raiders quarterback Geno Smith looks worse by the week. He’s older and expensive and required a third-round pick to acquire.
Yet on Sunday, Sanders arguably looked like the better quarterback. At best, they were even. Hindsight is easy, but the reality is the Raiders had multiple mid-round opportunities to take a swing on a young passer. Instead, they spent those picks on players who aren’t contributing and hitched their season to Smith—one of the league’s least effective starters.
Of course, it’s hard to imagine any quarterback thriving behind the offensive line the Raiders put on the field.
Related: Cancerous Culture Keeps Killing Raiders’ Locker Room
This is the worst Raiders offensive line of all time…
This was likely the worst display of offensive line play I’ve seen at any level of football. Geno Smith was sacked 10 times and hit or hurried countless others. Talent is part of the issue — this group looked outmatched from the opening snap. The most glaring mismatch was Stone Forsythe, who resembled a high school blocker trying to slow down Myles Garrett. But it wasn’t just losing one-on-one battles. The Raiders’ linemen consistently failed to recognize blitzes and stunts, offered nothing on screens, and provided almost no push in the run game.
The most troubling part is that the coaching staff chose this. Las Vegas spent two draft picks on offensive linemen, only to keep them on the sideline. This isn’t a case of rookies being unready or creating a competitive disadvantage. The Raiders are already missing two starters, yet they continue to roll out players who shouldn’t be on an NFL roster, let alone in a starting role. Giving up ten sacks in a double-digit loss to one of the league’s worst teams is as uncompetitive as it gets.
And speaking of the people responsible for assembling this offensive line…
Chip Kelly must be fired…
Author’s note: This was written prior to Kelly’s dismissal.
Could you please clarify the weekly responsibilities of the Raiders’ offensive coordinator? It clearly isn’t preparing for the opponent’s top defensive threats. Myles Garrett roamed free from start to finish, and nothing in the game plan suggested Las Vegas had any intention of slowing him down. The play designs lack cohesion, the play-calling lacks purpose and, at times, players don’t even appear to know where they’re supposed to be.
Chip Kelly produces nothing positive, and nothing suggests his offense will improve. With the season effectively lost, the Raiders must focus on developing young players and building an offensive identity. Kelly refuses to do either. He keeps most rookies on the sideline, and he barely uses the few who play. Even with more snaps, they can’t grow in an offense with no structure or direction.
At this point, the Raiders should consider moving on and giving the offense to Greg Olsen. He is likely to focus on allowing Jeanty to run the ball, which will need to become the team’s identity as they continue their search for a franchise quarterback.
*Top Photo: Getty Images