Raiders outlasted by Chargers, Geno Smith punished in loss

The frustration for the Las Vegas Raiders was visible as the clock hit triple zeroes, signifying another difficult loss.

On Sunday, the Las Vegas Raiders dropped their sixth straight game, falling to the Los Angeles Chargers 31-14 at SoFi Stadium.

Falling to 2-10 and with wins from the Houston Texans and Jacksonville Jaguars, the Raiders are officially eliminated from postseason contention. The final games will mark the end of a disappointing first year of the Pete Carroll era, with more questions remaining than answers.

Here is the breakdown of a game that seemed close early on, but got out of hand for the Raiders.

Continuing the pain

Geno Smith took 20 sacks in the three games prior to today, and the Chargers did their part to extend that number.

The one element that dominated the day for the Raiders was how many drives ended in sacks. The Chargers took Smith down five times, with Tuli Tuipulotu leading with two. Whether it was Smith holding on to the football for too long or the offensive line unable to keep the Chargers pass rush at bay, the Raiders just could not rely on a clean pocket to help get the offense going.

Difference on third down

Whereas the Raiders struggled on third down due to failures in protection, the Chargers seemed to be able to move the ball at will on third down.

The Raiders finished the afternoon with a paltry two-for-eight conversion rate on third down, mostly due to the sacks. On the other hand, the Chargers went 12-for-17, using a strong running game lead by Kimani Vidal and a quick passing attack from Justin Herbert to keep the chains moving. Between the offense not being able to stay on the field and the defense struggling to get off of it, Patrick Graham’s group could not keep up as the Chargers began to run away in the second half.

This could work

New offensive coordinator Greg Olson has a penchant for using the tight end, and Brock Bowers stands as the beneficiary for the final month of the season.

Even in a down day for the Raiders offense, they did find success when they targeted Bowers. He was able to find ways to get open against the Chargers, finishing the afternoon with four receptions for a team-high 63 yards and two touchdowns. Bowers’s hard work was undermined by a poor day from other aspects of the offense, but his performance at least gives Pete Carroll something to build on for the rest of the season.