The Raiders failed in spectacular fashion in their home opener against the Panthers on Sunday, losing by a lopsided 36-22 final tally.
Nothing went right for the home team, as the offense was toothless except for a 97-yard drive in the first half and the defense allowed one big play after another.
The Panthers (1-2) looked like a different team with new starting quarterback Andy Dalton. He sliced and diced the Raiders defense on his way to 319 passing yards and three touchdowns. On offense, the Raiders couldn’t get the ball to wide receiver Davante Adams or tight end Brock Bowers after they starred last week in Baltimore.
Here are the winners and losers for the week after this setback defeat for Las Vegas (1-2).
Winner: WR Tre Tucker
Before this game turned into a blowout, the Raiders offense evened the score at 7-7 with a 97 yard touchdown march. The key play was a 54-yard strike from quarterback Gardner Minshew to WR Tre Tucker.
The drive ended with a touchdown run by running back Alexander Mattison. The Panthers scored the game’s next 26 points to put the game away; the Raiders didn’t score again until a garbage time touchdown catch by WR Jakobi Meyers made the score 33-15. Tucker added a late touchdown catch of his own on a throw from QB Aidan O’Connell.
Loser: HC Antonio Pierce
After the Panthers announced their plan to start Dalton over for former No. 1 overall pick Bryce Young, it was clear the Raiders coaching staff had to adjust their practice-week preparation. On Sunday, it appeared the Raiders didn’t know what him them from the start, and that falls mostly on coach Antonio Pierce.
Plus, Pierce’s decisions on a couple short-yardage situations were highly questionable. Trailing 14-7, the Raiders ran on a 3rd-and-7 play to set up a 4th-and-3, only to miss on a short pass attempt to Bowers. That drive stalled after starting at the Raiders 40-yard line.
Later in the game, Las Vegas went for a 4th-and-1 play on its own 37-yard line. A QB sneak from Minshew went nowhere, and the Panthers scored a field goal for a 27-7 lead. The Raiders went three-and-out on their next possession, one of many such drives on the afternoon.
Loser: OC Luke Getsy
Offensive coordinator Luke Getsy seemed determined to get the Raiders run game going, and the strategy missed the mark. Las Vegas totaled just 55 yards on the ground, and by the second half, the home crowed often booed after a run play.
The poor run game ruined whatever game plan Getsy had prepared, as Minshew never got into a rhythm with is receivers.
Loser: Raiders defense/DC Patrick Graham
The Raiders defense allowed 256 yards of offense in the first half and 437 yards overall. The Panthers ran over, through, and around Patrick Graham’s defense, as they had a 100-yard rusher in RB Chuba Hubbard and a 100-yard receiver in WR Diontae Johnson.
The Raiders pass rush was especially missing in action. Defensive end Maxx Crosby made little impact, and the Raiders depth at defensive end looks troubling on Crosby’s opposite edge. The lack of pressure played a factor in at least five pass plays of more than 20 yards for Carolina.
Loser: WR Davante Adams and TE Brock Bowers
A week ago, it appeared the Raiders had found their answer on offense: get the ball to Adams and Bowers. This week, the two combined for seven catches and 81 yards receiving.
Making matters worse, Adams had the ball knocked from his hands multiple times, including a 3rd-and-2 play as the Raiders trailed 14-7 in the second quarter.
Loser: DB Nate Hobbs
Defensive back Nate Hobbs was in the middle of a lot of action on Sunday, and most of it went against the home team. In particular, Hobbs allowed his opponent to cut across his face inside on a key 3rd-and-8 play late in the first half, leading to a 35-yard catch and run by Johnson, who made Hobbs look silly on his tackle attempt.
This drive ended with a touchdown catch by WR Adam Thielen to give the Panthers a 21-7 lead at halftime.
Hobbs had a pass breakup and a tackle for loss later in the game, but like the Raiders late touchdowns, it wasn’t nearly enough.
Loser: LBs Luke Masterson and Tommy Eichenberg
With starting LB Divine Deablo out with injury, reserves Luke Masterson and Tommy Eichenberg were called on to step up. They only made an impact for the opposing team, as the Panthers ran up the middle with abandon and kept the Raiders reserve linebackers off balance all afternoon.
Loser: DE Tyree Wilson
After the season-ending injury to DE Malcolm Koonce, the Raiders are desperate for answers at defensive end opposite Crosby. Las Vegas just happens to have selected a defensive end with a top-10 pick in the NFL Draft a couple of years ago in Tyree Wilson, who returned from his own injury to play against the Panthers.
It didn’t matter, as Wilson made little to no impact. Will he ever turn the corner and help the Raiders win? At this point, it seems unlikely.
Loser: Offensive line/run game
If Getsy wasn’t convinced he should stop trying to run the ball first and pass second, he should be ready to switch his game plan by now. The Raiders offensive line appeared to struggle run blocking and RB Zamir White was again a non-factor, finishing with 34 yards on 10 carries.
Raiders fans have seen a lot of poor performances over the last few decades, and this pathetic showing ranks among the worst of them. This was a prime opportunity for Pierce’s new regime to turn a corner; last week, the Raiders won a game everyone expected them to lose, but good teams win games they are expected to win. They fell flat trying to do just that against the Panthers.
The Raiders get another chance for a home win next week against the Browns, and Pierce’s bunch would probably do well to forget about what outcome people expect in that matchup. Rather, they need to tune out the noise and create the outcome they want.
