Four reasons Raiders are trending toward disastrous season

After a dreadful 26-14 loss to the Detroit Lions on "Monday Night Football," it's clear the Las Vegas Raiders (3-5) are a mess. Here are five reasons their season is trending toward disaster:

1. QB Jimmy Garoppolo isn't the answer

Garoppolo, who signed a three-year, $72.75M deal in the offseason, has flopped. He leads the NFL in interceptions with nine in six games and has posted a below-average 35.2 QBR. Against Detroit, he completed a season-low 47.6 percent of his passes.

"Today was a bad day, there's no sugarcoating it," Garoppolo said postgame, per ESPN's Paul Gutierrez. "It is what it is. So, I've just got to play better."

It's hard to believe Jimmy G. will turn things around. In fact, it wouldn't be surprising if he gets benched. When reporters asked head coach Josh McDaniels about making a QB change, he said, "I'm not going to talk about that right now."

2. WR Davante Adams' patience is wearing thin

In the loss to Detroit, Adams only had one reception for 11 yards. He was visibly frustrated after Garoppolo overthrew him on a potential TD late in the fourth quarter, as the six-time Pro Bowler slammed his helmet on the turf when he reached the sidelines.

"I don't know what to say at this moment," Adams said postgame, via The Athletic's Tashan Reed. "I truly don't know."

The star wideout's frustration' is understandable. The team is not getting him the ball, and he's only averaging 67.4 receiving yards per game, the third-lowest mark of his career. It wouldn't be shocking if he tried to force his way out of Las Vegas.

3. RB Josh Jacobs has regressed

Last season, Jacobs led the NFL in rushing with a career-high 1,653 yards in 17 games. In the offseason, he held out of training camp and preseason before signing a one-year contract worth up to $12M. Apparently, his holdout led to rust.

In 2023, Jacobs is averaging a career-low 51 rushing yards per game and has only scored three TDs. As a result, the team's red-zone offense has plummeted, ranking 25th in the NFL in red-zone percentage (44 percent), per Pro Football Reference.  

4. DE Maxx Crosby Needs Help

Crosby is the team's silver lining. The 26-year-old is tied for eighth in the league in sacks (6.5) and second in tackles for loss (10). Through the first eight weeks, Pro Football Focus gave him a grade of 91.6, third among edge-rushers. 

However, the defensive stud — a two-time Pro Bowler — has a weak supporting cast. Las Vegas is tied for 22nd in points allowed (23.4), and no other Raider has more than one sack. The team must upgrade its defense in the draft and free agency, a familiar refrain. Crosby has played a career-high 98 percent of snaps this season, and he may need to continue that pace of Vegas hopes to stop anyone.

However, if there is one reason to be optimistic it was the latest news out of Vegas. Late Tuesday night, the Raiders fired head coach Josh McDaniels and GM David Ziegler.