Three Major Observations on Raiders' Latest Loss

Injuries Are Beginning To Mount

Kyu Blu Kelly went down with an injury early in their rematch against the Broncos, which will likely end his 2025 season. He was able to avoid any ligament damage, but that marks the end of what was a breakout season for him. Kelly picked off Bo Nix in their first game this season and has had three interceptions up to this point.

Raider Nation is split on Kelly, as one side argues that he's been one of their best defensive backs. However, he has also been beaten over the top multiple times this season, giving up touchdowns and big yardage plays. Kelly's a restricted free agent after this season, and I believe he's done enough to justify a contract extension.

There was one other notable injury to come from this game, which was Geno Smith, heading into the locker room and missing out the entire 4th quarter. He injured his hand earlier in the game, and the three sacks he took didn't help remedy that. This is all on top of them being without Dont'e Thornton Jr., who went down with an injury against the Los Angeles Chargers and didn't play against the Broncos.

This is a chance for some of their younger players to get more playing time, but it stinks that they couldn't see more out of Kelly this season. As for the Smith injury, it gave Kenny Pickett a chance to show the Raiders what he can bring to their offense, and the results speak for themselves. I believe a quarterback change is imminent for the Raiders, one that was long overdue.

Another Shaky Performance

Another week, another disappointing Ashton Jeanty performance. I believe the Raiders should ride out the rest of Jeanty's rookie season even if he is inefficient, but at this point, I can't even blame Pete Carroll for not giving him an increased workload.

On ten carries, he was only able to rush for 30 yards, with his longest run being six yards. I would say it's because of the Broncos' dominant defensive line, but this is the same defense that allowed Jaydon Blue of the Dallas Cowboys to rush for 29 yards. Blue was a fifth-round pick in the same draft class, and his longest rush against the Broncos was for 14 yards, almost half of what Jeanty was able to accomplish all game.

The two games Jeanty has had over 70 yards rushing are when they gave him more than 20 carries. His offensive line partly explains why he's been so underwhelming, but they played one of their better games against the Broncos.

This was probably one of their most complete performances of the season, and it didn't matter. It's too soon in his career to label Jeanty a bust, but there's little he can do now to salvage his rookie season.

Hope for the Future

Jeanty has never had double-digit targets in the passing game, and with Pickett under center, they could pivot to use him more as a receiving back. That's the only way I can think of them improving his prosecution, because he's shown that he can't successfully pick up on yards on the ground at a high level.

Their offensive identity shifts with Pickett, and there remains hope that a quarterback change is all this team needs to improve their offense. Hopefully, Pickett can target Jack Bech, Brock Bowers, and Jeanty in the pass game to give their best playmakers a chance at explosive offense. Greg Olson has done a middling job taking over playcalling duties for Chip Kelly. If he shows offensive mastery to end the season, the Raiders may consider keeping him as their offensive coordinator full-time.