The Raiders threatened late but lost their 10th straight game. Which players and coaches stood out?
The Raiders looked dreadful for most of their Monday night matchup against the Falcons (7-7), but the Las Vegas offense caught fire late and had a chance for the go-ahead touchdown before a hail-mary attempt failed on the game’s final play.
The result was a 15-9 defeat for Las Vegas, their 10th straight. The Raiders were shorthanded, as quarterback Desmond Ridder started for an injured Aidan O’Connell. The defense, without star DE Maxx Crosby, played hard but only forced Atlanta’s turnover-prone quarterback, Kirk Cousins, into one interception.
Plus, the Las Vegas special teams allowed the Falcons to block two punts and one extra-point attempt. Here are the winners and losers after the Raiders record dropped to 2-12.
Winner: DT Jonah Laulu
Defensive tackle Jonah Laulu helped the Raiders defense get off to a solid start with a demonstrative QB sack early in the ball game. He also had a key play late as he dropped back into coverage on third down and batted the ball to the ground, forcing Atlanta to give Las Vegas the ball with enough time to drive down the field for their hail-mary attempt.
Laulu, a seventh-round pick by the Colts in the 2024 NFL Draft, has come on strong since earning playing time in Las Vegas. He finished with six total tackles and a QB hit in addition to his pass defensed and sack, the first QB takedown of his career.
Winner: DT Adam Butler
Defensive tackle Adam Butler was part of a solid pass rush effort from Las Vegas, notching a QB sack late in the second quarter. He also tipped a pass from Cousins that turned into an interception for the Raiders. He finished with six total tackles, his QB sack, a QB hit, a tackle for loss, and his pass breakup at the line of scrimmage.
Winner: LB Robert Spillane
Linebacker Robert Spillane intercepted Cousins on the Falcons’ first drive of the second half, giving the offense an opportunity they ultimately couldn’t capitalize on. On the drive following Spillane’s INT, the offense punted only for it to be blocked. It was Atlanta’s second blocked punt of the evening.
Spillane could have had an even better game, except for a questionable call from the officials. He was flagged for a roughing the passer penalty on Altanta’s final possession as he pressured Cousins on third down and forced an incompletion. Instead, the Falcons kept the ball for another set of downs before the Raiders could start their final drive.
Winner: RB Ameer Abdullah
Starting running back Sincere McCormick suffered a game-ending injury and running back Ameer Abdullah stepped up when given the opportunity. He caught a touchdown pass from Ridder to narrow the score to 15-9 with minutes remaining.
Loser: QB Desmond Ridder
Ridder was in a tough situation; he joined the Raiders midseason and found himself starting against this former team. He finished with 208 yards on 23-for-39 passing, one touchdown, and two interceptions.
Ridder has solid ability, but the odds were stacked against him on this night, especially as the Raiders had just 65 rushing yards, and 28 of those yards came from Ridder. In the end, he couldn’t overcome the rough hand he was dealt, even with his last-second chance at redemption.
Loser: OC Scott Turner
It seemed that Raiders offensive coordinator Scott Turner was only working with half his playbook due to Ridder’s inexperience in the Raiders offense. He was also hampered when McCormick went down. His offense only tallied 249 yards.
But he’s on the loser list for handing the ball not once but twice to running back Alexander Mattison as the Raiders were on their 3-yard line in the second quarter. Both runs went for a loss, the second resulting in a safety. It was on a run out of the shotgun formation; the Raiders offense operated exclusively out of this formation, a sign of the limited playbook used by Turner. Mattison has been one of the worst running backs in the NFL this season, running for an absurdly low average, and had already fumbled earlier in the game. Turner was foolish to give him the ball twice there.
Loser: RB Alexander Mattison
Mattison trucked a defender on a second-half run, but he had a dreadful evening overall. He fumbled on the Raiders’ first drive of the game on a 3rd-and-23 run designed to set up a punt and then was eaten alive in the end zone by the Falcons. Offensive linemen Kolton Miller and Jordan Meredith are honorable mention losers for their part in the safety as well.
Loser: CB Jack Jones
Cornerback Jack Jones gambled and lost on the Falcons’ only touchdown of the game, a pass from Cousins to wide receiver Drake London. Jones was burned badly on a double move.
Loser: Special teams coordinator Tom McMahon
The Raiders special teams were a mess on Monday night, allowing Falcons WR KhaDarel Hodge to block two punts. The Falcons also blocked the Raiders extra point try after Abdullah’s score.
Loser: HC Antonio Pierce
Will the Raiders win another game this season? At this point, it looks unlikely, even with the Jaguars coming to Las Vegas next week. Pierce is running the show, and this losing streak is a terrible look for him as he attempts to remain coach in 2025.
He too was dealt a bad hand with injuries to Crosby, who is out for the season, and O’Connell. But Pierce may have to produce some of the magic he manifested late last season that led to his ascension to head coach. Time is running out, and his squad will have another shot on Sunday against Jacksonville.
