Tough one. After a hard-fought battle with the Kansas City Chiefs, the Las Vegas Raiders suffered their first loss of the season. It was arguably the Silver and Black’s toughest test so far, and for better and for worse, Sunday taught us a lot about who this team is. Let’s react!
The Raiders Still Haven’t Figured Out How to Run the Ball
While this Raiders team looks much better overall than last year’s version, the run-game woes have continued, and it is hard to figure out why. Klint Kubiak has a long track record of good run design, and the offensive line seems improved. Las Vegas also appears to have added another stud to the backfield in rookie Mike Washington Jr. Yet for some reason, none of it has translated. Statistically, the Raiders are once again one of the worst rushing offenses in the league through four weeks. So why?
One theory is that Ashton Jeanty is not fully healthy. We know he has been battling injuries, and the eye test suggests something is not right. However, Washington struggled as well this week, and both backs have had trouble finding room to run consistently. That points to a blocking issue. Perhaps, but the Raiders have been average in run-block win rate. Are other teams simply starting to figure Kubiak out? That seems unlikely.
That leaves one factor we may not be considering…
Kirk Cousins Looks Old
Part of the issue with the run game is that teams do not respect Cousins’ ability to beat them deep. To be clear, that is not to say Cousins is playing poorly. On the contrary, he looks great. However, Sunday exposed his clear limitations. Facing the Chiefs means dealing with defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo’s penchant for dialing up pressure, and a great way to combat that is with a quarterback who can make plays with his legs. Cousins showed he can still escape sacks, but he can no longer pick up yards on the ground. Instead, he was often forced to throw on the run, and his arm simply cannot make those throws consistently.
So what do the Raiders do? Cousins is likely still their best option, and he has been one of the better quarterbacks in the league through the first four weeks. Yet one has to wonder whether his diminished capabilities put a limit on the Raiders’ ceiling. Again, Cousins is not here for his ability to run, but even by the standards of older, immobile quarterbacks, his rushing numbers are rough. His minus-2 rushing yards ranks second to last among quarterbacks with at least 100 snaps this season, 14 yards behind the next quarterback, Aaron Rodgers, who has 12. It is rare in this day and age to make a deep postseason run with a quarterback who cannot, at least occasionally, take off for positive yards.
To be fair, though, a postseason run only recently became a concern for the Silver and Black this season.
Related: These 3 Raiders will determine how far Las Vegas can go this season
This Team is Legit
The top takeaway from this game is that the Raiders’ 3-0 start was more than a fluke built on a weak schedule. They went toe-to-toe with a Chiefs team that looks like a Super Bowl contender and did not look out of place. The game was back-and-forth throughout, and at several points Las Vegas even looked like the better team. In the end, the loss showed that the Raiders still have plenty of work to do, but it also offered signs that this team is close to something special.
Perhaps the most important sign is the way this team fights through adversity. For the second week in a row, the Raiders looked dead to rights after a fourth-quarter fumble on a kickoff return. In past years, that would have been the moment the team imploded. Yet for the second week in a row, the Raiders clawed their way back, though this time they came up just short. They may not be more than a fringe wild-card team this season, but you can rest assured that Kubiak will have them fighting to the bitter end.
*Top Photo: Ramble Illustration/Getty Images