Tag: raiders vs. bills

Raiders winners and losers in 38-10 defeat vs. Bills

Raiders winners and losers in 38-10 defeat vs. Bills

The Raiders started hot but slowly fell apart against the Bills in Buffalo on Sunday, losing 38-10. The Bills converted multiple fourth-down plays, dominating time of possession after Vegas took a 7-0 lead on a touchdown catch by wide receiver Davante Adams.

The Raiders’ roster shortcomings were on full display, as their offensive and defensive lines struggled against Buffalo’s players. Quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo felt the heat, throwing two interceptions. Bills QB Josh Allen had a lot of time to throw the football and used it well, tossing three touchdowns with no picks.

And incredibly, Raiders running back Josh Jacobs finished with negative rushing yards. It was a terrible day at the office for Las Vegas, and coach Josh McDaniels must find the answers. Here are this week’s winners and losers, as the Raiders’ good vibes from Week 1 have become a distant memory.

Winner: WR Davante Adams

Early on, it appeared Garoppolo and Adams would lead the Raiders to victory. The two displayed improved chemistry, especially on the game’s first drive. Adams caught a big third-down conversion before ultimately notching the afternoon’s first touchdown.

In the end, Adams had just 84 receiving yards, as the Raiders offense slowly fell apart against Buffalo.  For the Raiders to reach their potential on offense, Garoppolo and Adams must find their groove.

Unfortunately, Adams was in the game after it was in hand for Buffalo and suffered an injury that forced him to the locker room. The play happened on a questionable pass from Garoppolo. But overall, their improved chemistry was a step in the right direction.

Winner: WR Tre Tucker

Rookie WR Tre Tucker suited up after being inactive Week 1 and made a positive impact. He ran for 34 yards on a sweep play in the first half, showing his speed and play-making ability.

Tucker also appeared to draw a pass interference penalty on a deep throw from Garoppolo, but the flag was picked up. It’s unclear how much playing time Tucker will have moving forward, as he took the place of injured WR Jakobi Meyers. His performance on Sunday should give him confidence to perform when called on.

Loser: C Andre James

The Raiders offensive line had a rough day. Jacobs never got rolling and Las Vegas ended up with just 55 rushing yards. Their pass protection was decent, but Garoppolo felt the heat on one crucial play in the first half, leading to an interception that turned the game.

It appeared that center Andre James didn’t do his job on a screen pass, barely putting his hands on the lineman across from him before running to the flat to block. It’s unclear what his exact responsibility is on that play, but conventional technique says he needs to slow the defender’s forward momentum before releasing to block.

Garoppolo’s pass was tipped after he rushed the throw, and moments later, the Bills tied the game at 7-7. The Raiders defense had actually held the Bills to a 3-and-out on their first drive, and the Raiders had a chance to build on their lead. This miscue ruined those chances.

Loser: QB Jimmy Garoppolo

The Raiders’ bad day on offense wasn’t all due to poor line play. Garoppolo’s second interception was squarely his fault; he had all day to throw before tossing a pick on a check-down to Jacobs. Bills linebacker Matt Milano wrestled the ball away on a pass that was too high for the Raiders running back.

Garoppolo had trouble finding any of his receivers besides Adams. Jacobs was second on the team with five receptions and no other wideout had more than a single catch. The lack of a running game and the loss of Meyers certainly didn’t help, but this was a step backward for Garoppolo and the passing game overall.

Loser: RB Josh Jacobs

It should be no secret why Jacobs lands on the loser list this week. It was a career-worst rushing output for the Raiders’ No. 1 back, the leader in NFL rushing yards just a season ago.

Through two weeks, the Raiders’ run blocking has not been what it was last year, either. If McDaniels’ group is to succeed, this part of the team needs to be a strength, not a weakness as it was on Sunday.

Loser: DE Maxx Crosby

As usual, defensive end Maxx Crosby gave a supreme effort and made his share of tackles on Sunday. He lands on this week’s loser list because he needs help from his fellow defensive lineman and isn’t getting much support.

The Bills paid extra attention to Crosby, who was often chipped or double-teamed. As long as the rest of the line fails to perform, mostly in regards to pass rush, Crosby will continue to see more than one blocker on nearly every play.

With last year’s big free agent signing, DE Chander Jones, still away from the team, Malcolm Koonce started opposite Crosby. Rookie Tyree Wilson also saw playing time, as did DE Isaac Rochell. It doesn’t matter how it happens, but Vegas desperately needs other linemen to step up, especially on the edge.

The Raiders are now 1-1 on the season, but it appears there is a lot of work to do on both sides of the ball for Las Vegas. McDaniels’ roster has star power with Crosby, Adams, and Jacobs; but the rest of the roster must fill in the gaps.

They’ll get their chance next week in the Raiders’ home opener against the Steelers. Despite this awful performance in Buffalo, Las Vegas can turn their early season around with a home win against a beatable Pittsburgh squad. By the looks of things at the moment, McDaniels may have to work some magic for that to happen.

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Raiders QB Derek Carr on team’s rough stretch: ‘What’s killing us is ourselves’

Raiders quarterback Derek Carr says that while the Bills beat Las Vegas on Sunday, it’s his team that deserves most of the blame.

The Raiders finished the first quarter of the season at 2-2, but after their second-straight loss, a 30-23 defeat against the Bills, there was certainly no reason to celebrate.

After playing mistake-free football for the first two weeks of the campaign, costly miscues cropped up last week against the Patriots and increased against a skilled and battle-tested Buffalo squad. Quarterback Derek Carr was openly frustrated postgame while doing his best to remain positive.

“We are in all these games. We have moved the ball up and down the field these first four games. You’re blind if you don’t think that. But what’s killing us is ourselves,” Carr told reporters after the game.

Besides settling for three Daniel Carlson field goals while running more plays and gaining more yards than the Bills’ offense, the Raiders had two costly turnovers late in the game. Tight end Darren Waller lost the ball while fighting for extra yardage when Las Vegas was down just six points in the fourth quarter. Carr was stripped of the ball in the pocket two drives later.

Plus, the Raiders had seven penalties for 66 yards, including an illegal formation that negated a 49-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Nelson Agholor in the first half.

“That’s the frustrating part,” Carr said. “The things that are hurting us in these close games is not them. It’s us. That’s the hard part to swallow. You wake up early, trying to outwork everybody. And it’s one thing here and there. It’s like, dang.

“It’s encouraging, but at the same time you go home and you’re hot. I got to take a deep breath before I go in my house so I don’t take it out on my wife and my kids because it means so much to me. But enough’s enough. We’ve got to correct this right now.”

A renewed effort to play mistake-free football and capitalize on scoring opportunities should help the Raiders, especially with the imposing Chiefs as their next opponent. Las Vegas has to do more than talk about it, however. Results on the field are needed immediately if the Raiders are to fight for a playoff birth.

Raiders LB Cory Littleton says his play thus far ‘hasn’t been great’

The Raiders thought they found an answer for their ailing linebacker corps, but Cory Littleton has underwhelmed so far in Las Vegas.

For years, the Raiders’ linebackers have been a punching bag for opponents — it’s as if the franchise completely ignored the position at times.

So Las Vegas signed two high-profile free agents at LB this season, and all seemed well. The campaign’s first three weeks, however, have been like old times as opponents take advantage of the second tier of the defense.

Middle linebacker Nick Kwiatkoski was injured early in the Raiders’ Week 1 win and has unfortunately not yet returned. Cory Littleton, the second free-agent LB, hasn’t fared well. As he’s attempted to lead the defense, Littleton has been the unit’s worst-graded defender.

At least he’s self-aware. When told that defensive coordinator Paul Guenther described his play as “hot and cold,” Littleton was frank about his lackluster play through three weeks.

“The only thing I can do is do what is coached to me and try to put on the best performance I can. So far, it hasn’t been that great,” Littleton told reporters on Thursday.

Besides his honesty about his performance and comment about the coaching staff, Littleton was optimistic. “That’s football. There’s upswings and there’s downswings,” he said. “Hopefully [I can] get back on track and be the player I want to be.”

Littleton is taking some heat for his play, and rightfully so. But he’s not the only one struggling on the Raiders defense. The unit has missed nearly 20 percent of its tackles, according to the Associated Press, which is the worst rate in the league.

Sure, Littleton has the most missed tackles on the team with seven. But LB Nicholas Morrow, who has started in Kwiatkoski’s place, has missed five.

Kwiatkoski returned to practice this week, and if he’s active against the Bills on Sunday, he’d be a huge help for Littleton and the defense. Kwiatkoski is more suited to stop the run, so he pairs well with Littleton, who specializes in coverage.

That was the idea when the Raiders signed the two. So while the plan hasn’t paid dividends just yet, as the defense ranks near the bottom of the league, Las Vegas hasn’t seen their two prized signings play together for an extended period.

The Raiders defense can use all the help it can get. And if Kwiatkoski’s return also helps Littleton specifically, that’s even better. Anything to help him be the player he wants to be, which is the player Las Vegas needs.

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