Raiders winners and losers in 20-15 defeat vs. Rams

The Raiders barely lost in LA but turnovers cost them dearly. Who stood out more than others, for better or worse?

Turnovers plagued the Raiders yet again on Sunday, and Las Vegas lost a close game to the Rams in Los Angeles, 20-15.

After quarterback Aidan O’Connell left the game with an injured right thumb, reserve QB Gardner Minshew took his place. Minshew led his team to a field goal on his first drive, but he committed the first of his four turnovers, an interception, a couple of drives later.

The Rams (2-4) gladly took the ball and scored a touchdown for a 7-3 lead they wouldn’t relinquish. All of LA’s points came off Minshew giveaways, including a fumble the Rams returned for a touchdown late in the first half.

Here are the winners and losers for the week. The Raiders lost their third straight to drop to 2-5.

Winner: TE Brock Bowers

Rookie tight end Brock Bowers figured to play a starring role on offense after the Raiders traded wide receiver Davante Adams to the Jets, and Bowers delivered.

He caught 10 of his 14 targets for 93 yards and had good moments as a blocker as well. His 25-yard catch and run led to a Las Vegas field goal and a 3-0 lead.

Bowers set the mark for most receptions by a tight end in NFL history through his first seven games and now has 47 total grabs. This season hasn’t gone as the Raiders planned, but they have a superstar on their hands in Bowers. He gives Raiders fans something to look forward to on Sundays, as watching their team turn the ball over like crazy is likely getting old for many.

Winner: CB Nate Hobbs

Cornerback Nate Hobbs had an impressive fourth-down tackle for loss early in the game that preserved the Raiders’ 3-0 lead. Hobbs also intercepted the Rams late in the third quarter and returned the ball 35 yards as Las Vegas was trying to claw its way back into the game.

The play set up a field goal by kicker Daniel Carlson, which put the score at 20-12 with nearly an entire quarter to play.

Winner: K Daniel Carlson

The Raiders could’ve won a really boring game, as Carlson gave them all the points they would need had they not turned the ball over. Instead, the Raiders lost a really boring game, and plenty of frustration was added to the mix for Raiders fans.

Carlson hit all five of his field goal tries and once again proved he’s one of the NFL’s best.

Winner: RB Alexander Mattison

The Raiders went to the run game a lot on early downs, and running back Alexander Mattison responded with a solid performance. He finished with 92 rushing yards on 23 carries, including some tough carries through defenders. He added three catches for 31 yards.

Loser: QB Gardner Minshew

This game started falling apart for the Raiders as soon as Minshew started handing out gifts to the Rams defense.

Minshew fumbled when the Raiders got the ball back after his first interception, and the Rams returned it for a touchdown and a 14-3 lead. Minshew took a break from turning the ball over until the third quarter when he threw behind WR DJ Turner on 3rd-and-6. It appeared Turner could’ve run for an easy first down had the pass been on target.

Instead, the Rams intercepted the ball and eventually scored another touchdown for an insurmountable 20-6 advantage. Minshew’s last interception was on the Raiders’ late desperation drive; they had the ball at their own 11-yard line, down 20-15 with 1:39 on the clock and no timeouts remaining.

O’Connell’s injury looks serious, so Minshew is the man for now. That appears to be bad news for Las Vegas unless the veteran QB makes a dramatic turnaround this season.

Loser: QB Aidan O’Connell

Just when he got his starting job back last week, O’Connell’s thumb is reportedly broken. Plus, he had to watch this terrible performance like the rest of us. That’s an all-around losing day for the Raiders’ second-year signal caller.

Loser: CB Jack Jones

It ended up not costing the Raiders, but cornerback Jack Jones played poor coverage and had a laughable tackle attempt as the Raiders had just pulled within one score of the Rams. After the play, Los Angeles missed a field goal, keeping the score intact at 20-12.

Jones also looked silly when he got stiff-armed on a tackle attempt late in the game. It’s no secret that cornerbacks don’t love tackling, but Jones sometimes looks like he’s allergic to contact. Considering how this season is shaping up, he may lose playing time to younger prospects such as CB Decamerion Richardson, who saw some snaps in this game.

Loser: GM Tom Telesco

There’s a lot to like about the new Raiders’ general manager, Tom Telesco. His first three draft picks for the Raiders are quality starters (Bowers and offensive lineman Jackson Powers-Johnson and DJ Glaze).

But the Raiders quarterback situation is awful. Sure, Telesco didn’t have a ton of options due to the quarterback-heavy NFL Draft and limited free agent options, not to mention the Raiders’ lack of quality quarterbacks on the roster when Telesco arrived.

But having Minshew and O’Connell as Las Vegas’ only two signal-callers approaches professional malpractice. The Raiders signed Minshew to be their starter, and the results are questionable to downright terrible. The hope is that Telesco can continue to build through the draft, but that is no comfort for Raiders fans in Week 7 of a long campaign.

Loser: DJ Glaze

Glaze went offsides as the Raiders had a 4th-and-goal opportunity at the 5-yard line with just minutes remaining in the game, facing a 20-12 deficit. In fairness, Glaze wasn’t the only lineman to go offsides, but it’s his name that was called out to the TV audience.

After the penalty, the Raiders decided to kick a field goal, which Carlson converted to make the score 20-15. After a defensive stop, the Raiders had the ball late with an opportunity for a winning drive, but that drive started at their own 11-yard line and they had no timeouts.

Loser: HC Antonio Pierce

Coach Antonio Pierce watched his team commit 10 penalties and turn the ball over four times. His team now owns a minus-13 turnover margin, which is the worst in the NFL and ties a franchise record for ineptitude.

Incredibly, his team still had a chance to win. In hindsight, Pierce should have gone for it on 4th-and-goal after Glaze’s false start rather than kicking a field goal. Even in real-time, it would have been a solid decision, as the team needed a touchdown regardless of whether Carlson had made the try or not.

The bad news keeps getting worse for Las Vegas, as the defending Super Bowl champion Chiefs visit Allegiant Stadium next week. It’s a monumental task for the Raiders. But if they continue beating themselves with turnovers and penalties, every week is likely a loss for Las Vegas, regardless of the opponent.