The 20-10 final score between the Las Vegas Raiders and Tennessee Titans did not do the domination of the home team justice.
The Raiders did not play the cleanest game by any stretch, but the Titans never felt like they were anywhere close to competing. A Raiders defense that gave up more than 40 points to the Indianapolis Colts a week ago looked unbeatable, and the offense largely avoided the same backbreaking mistakes that plagued them over the last few games. It was a performance the Raiders needed to keep the ship afloat, allowing them to keep the season in good shape for at least an additional week.
However, even the Raiders coaching staff agreed that the game felt far too easy.
According to The Athletic’s Michael Silver, an anonymous coach did not come away from the game feeling as though the Titans were a worthy challenge.
“That might be the worst team I’ve seen in the last 25 years,” the coach said. “They don’t have any difference-makers other than (defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons), and the whole thing was a total mess.”
Along with Simmons’s own comments about how the Titans did not put together a good week of practice prior to the game, it is no wonder why the team decided to fire head coach Brian Callahan on Monday.
Sure, the Raiders are a team that have their own problems to sort out, and doubt has been cast on players and coaches alike to do their jobs effectively. However, it has yet to coalesce into the visible lack of preparation that was on display from the opposing side on Sunday. Repairing the Raiders might not be as quick as head coach Pete Carroll or general manager John Spytek would have liked, but at least they have the pieces to get a good team set up down the line.
As rough as the past few years have been for the Raiders, Sunday’s game was proof that it can always be worse.
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