After a flurry of games ending in wild finishes from the 1 pm start time. The Raiders and Chargers finally kicked off the afternoon slate. Both teams would exchange fgs on the opening drives leaving things tied at 3. The Chargers would eventually break out for a 17-3 halftime lead. Coach Josh McDaniels made an interesting decision to run the clock out in the 1st half instead of going for points with 3 timeouts left. After a competitive 2nd half where the Raiders defense really stepped up the game was in the balance before the Raiders turned the ball over on downs to end the comeback. The 24-19 defeat leaves the silver and black 0-1. Here is what stood out from Sunday’s loss in my Raiders game review vs Chargers.
Davante Adams
People thought Adams was going to take a step back without Rodgers. Sunday was a reminder of how good Davante is. Finishing with 10 receptions for 141yds and a TD. Davante did anything he wanted Sunday and his numbers would have been even better if the o line would have held up better. Quick off the ball and route running was on display all afternoon. If this is a sign of things to come the Raiders will be in good shape at the number one receiver position .
Nate Hobbs
Hobbs started outside after spending his rookie season exclusively in the slot. The results were impressive. Hobbs was very active defending the run and finished with 6 tackles. In pass defense he was assigned Mike Williams who finished with 2 receptions for 10 yards. Fresh off an enormous contract Williams had a rough time shaking Hobbs. For the final stop to give the offense the ball to win the game it was Nate with a tremendous pass break up on third down. This year is going to be the year Nate Hobbs becomes noticed around the NFL. Sunday was just a start to his breakout season.
Pass Rush
The Raiders didn’t get any sacks on Herbert Sunday. Maxx Crosby was getting close but unfortunately never sealed the deal. The rest of the d line and pass rush was missing all game and hurt the Raiders. In a game where a turnover could have been the difference it was very frustrating watching the Raiders not be able to get to Justin Herbert. The run defense was solid but in this league and division you have to disrupt the passer or you get beat and the Raiders found that out Sunday.
Derek Carr
The Raiders QB had a rough start to the 2022 season. 3 interceptions and 2 fumbles although the Raiders recovered both. The offensive line didn’t give him much help but Carr has been in the league far too long to continually make the same mistakes. While his connection with Adams was successful Carr forced too many and under threw too many passes. The benefit of having a superstar like Davante Adams is the rest of the field opens up and easy throws are plentiful. Sunday it seemed Carr locked on Adams too many times and missed open targets. The plan moving forward should be to attack a favorable match up and not force the ball to anyone.
Offensive Line
Every time I have ever written anything about the Raiders the line has been the number one concern . To the surprise of absolutely no one the line struggled all afternoon Sunday. Dave Ziegler and Josh McDaniels can’t keep ignoring the fact the position isn’t good enough. This has been the case since last year and ignoring the problem isn’t fixing it. The Raiders making an all in move for Davante Adams while possessing one of the leagues worst offensive lines is interesting. The season is a make or break one for Carr and some other key players. The play of the offensive line might put the Raiders in a rebuild faster than anyone originally thought. To make matters worse for the Raiders the best part of the offensive line left tackle Kolton Miller struggled the entire game. Changes should be coming because the offensive line is in desperate need of help.
What’s Next ?
Although it feels much worse the loss vs the Chargers was only 1 game. A road win vs a tough division opponent would have been a statement but losing it doesn’t end the season. The bright spot is despite 6 sacks 3 turnovers and no forced turnovers the Raiders had the ball with a chance to win it at the end. The run defense was solid holding Ekeler to 36 yds on 14 carries. Also, in the Chargers final five possessions they only had 2 first down while going 3 and out 3 times. Next Sunday is a the home opener vs the Arizona Cardinals. After a rough outing themselves Sunday they will certainly be looking to bounce back. Both teams will try to avoid 0-2 in the young season.
Thanks for your time reading my article. For more Raiders talk follow me on Twitter http://@BrianRobert85 and check out a previous article here Raiders 53 Man Roster Initial Reaction. I will have my preview of week 2 vs Cardinals up on Friday
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