Well, that was bad. Really bad. The kind of bad that makes you wonder if the 3-0 start was completely fraudulent. The Las Vegas Raiders went into New England and were waxed 45-17 by the Patriots. Now, it’s time to get into the initial reactions.
The Raiders defense has been exposed…
So it turns out the Raiders’ defense under Rob Leonard might just be bad. Las Vegas has given up 102 points over the past three games, and the secondary has been particularly disappointing. For the second week in a row, the Raiders were torched by a group of no-name receivers. The safeties are constantly beaten over the top, the cornerbacks are flagged for panic-grabs every week, and nobody seems able to cover tight ends. The Raiders have already surrendered seven touchdowns to the position this year. Oh, and the Silver and Black have also given up more than 350 yards on the ground over the past two games.
Much of the early-season success may be attributed to forced turnovers, which are not consistently repeatable. The Raiders cannot keep relying on opponents to shoot themselves in the foot. That may have worked in their first three games, but those opponents have a combined one win this year. If the Raiders want to beat anyone good, the defense needs to improve.
That said, the defense isn’t the only problem.
So has the offense…
The Raiders’ offense has officially been figured out. Las Vegas’ 17 points against New England were its fewest of the season. The unit still functions, but opponents now seem to have a good read on how to defend it, and it starts with stopping the run. The offensive line is much improved from last season, yet the Raiders are struggling to impose their will on the ground. Defenses can attack the run aggressively because the passing game lacks explosiveness.
Brock Bowers is the only major receiving weapon the Raiders have right now. If you limit his damage, nobody else can really hurt opposing defenses. Cody White is a below-average possession receiver, and Michael Mayer isn’t going to provide much explosiveness, either. Tre Tucker can create big plays through the air, but someone has to get him the ball down the field.
That brings us to the real issue.
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It’s officially “Fernando Mendoza Time”
We finally got to see rookie quarterback Fernando Mendoza in live regular-season action. While it may have been junk time, there was a lot to like. The moment did not look too big for him; he moved well and the ball jumped out of his hand. The latter two traits have been glaringly absent from Kirk Cousins’ game. The veteran has limited the passing game to quick-hitting throws on short and intermediate routes because he lacks the arm strength to fire the ball deep and the mobility to buy receivers time to get downfield. Mendoza showed Sunday that he can do both.
That performance raises an obvious question. After dropping two straight, why not make a move? With Cousins at the helm, the Raiders’ ceiling appears to be getting bounced in the wild-card round. Perhaps that ceiling is slightly lower with the rookie, but do we know that for sure?
Cousins’ physical limitations have shrunk Klint Kubiak’s list of viable pass plays immensely, which in turn has made it harder to run the ball. Mendoza may be the spark the offense needs. Sure, there will likely be some growing pains, but he will have to go through them at some point. It might as well be during a season that was always going to be a rebuilding year.
*Top Photo: Ramble Illustration/Getty Images