Three Takeaways From Raiders Crushing Loss

Smith Needs To Be Benched

Geno Smith may not have thrown an interception like usual, but that doesn't mean he had a good game by any means. Out of the 16 passes he attempted, he completed only ten of them for 67 yards and an average of 3.5 yards per throw.

For comparison, against an arguably better defense, Gardner Minshew threw for 262 yards and two passing touchdowns with fewer offensive weapons than Smith currently has at his disposal. In the two games the Raiders have won, they put up 20 points, and that was enough to get a win. Unfortunately for them, their defense isn't good enough for them to win with a low-scoring offense.

The Raiders won't play for another two weeks, thanks to their week 8 bye, which gives them plenty of time to figure out if benching Smith for Aidan O'Connell or Kenny Pickett is the move for them. I would say it's pretty obvious that this team needs some sort of change, but perhaps Pete Carroll doesn't view it that way.

Carroll gave Pickett some reps when the Chiefs' game was already out of reach, but I don't think he's ready to give up on Smith yet. After all, that is the quarterback he advocated for in the offseason, and they gave him his contract extension. However, if Carroll continues to have Smith as their starter after their week 8 bye, it may be time for the Raiders to consider moving on from the oldest head coach in the league, if they haven't done so already.

Jeanty Needs More Carries

I thought the Raiders had figured out that feeding Ashton Jeanty the ball results in positive yardage, but I guess they didn't learn their lesson. Six carries are inexcusable for the sixth overall pick, and his lackluster rookie season has been primarily because of how the Raiders coaching staff has been using him.

There isn't any creativity when it comes to getting Jeanty the ball. It's either a straightforward run or a screen. Jeanty's so talented that they should be getting him the ball as much as possible, especially if their offense couldn't get anything going and their top two playmakers were out of the game.

The Raiders paid Chip Kelly the highest salary of any offensive coordinator in the league so that he could revolutionize their rushing attack, which was so poor a season ago. Kelly hasn't been able to reproduce the success he had on the ground with the Ohio State Buckeyes with the Raiders.

Their offensive line deserves a piece of the blame pie for stinking it up in pass/run blocking, but it's not entirely their fault either. Carroll and Kelly can make things easier on Smith by scheming up easy completions and quick throws to not give the Raiders' offensive line a moment to sell the bag.

Where Does the Team Go From Now?

The Raiders are 2 - 5, and their next wins will come few and far between. Does this mean the Raiders will begin to trade some of their top trade assets, such as Jakobi Myers, to get ahead of the curve and hope they can get something valuable in return?

It's a big possibility given the state of the team. They aren't going anywhere fast, and the Raiders should be thinking about seeing what they have in their roster with their young players. Ultimately, it's a matter of how the Raiders approach this week and get ready for the upcoming weeks.