What the Raiders Must Fix Immediately to Save Their Season

The Las Vegas Raiders are in a much different place than they were just a few weeks ago after an impressive road win over the New England Patriots. Injuries to some of their most critical players have already added up, forcing them to adjust in a way their roster is not suited to do so.

Raiders Must Right the Ship

The Raiders are headed in the wrong direction. Luckily, it is still early in the season, and the Raiders are one game away from .500. Las Vegas still has plenty of time to turn things around. However, if their offensive line does not figure things out, not much else will really matter.

Eric Edholm of NFL.com recently ranked every team in the National Football League. He ranked the Raiders as the 26th-best team in the league. That is two spots lower than he ranked them last week. The Raiders are currently on a two-game losing streak.

"The Raiders made some fun and interesting additions this offseason, especially on the offensive side of the ball, but nothing is really working as it should right now. The blocking up front hasn’t been the sole reason for the unit’s struggles, but it’s at the top of the list of concerns right now. Geno Smithmight not make it through the season if he keeps taking hits and sacks at this rate," Edholm said.

"And it’s hard to get the ball to your first-round running back if there are no holes through which Ashton Jeanty can run. That’s not to suggest Jeanty hasn’t been disappointing on his own, which I would say he has. But given the limitations, including Brock Bowers playing hurt, it’s hard to put much blame on the rookie. Combine that with allowing 41 points to a backup-QB-led team, and the vibes seem pretty dour."

The Raiders' problems along the offensive line were unexpected, as that was the unit with the most continuity on the entire roster. There is still a change the Raiders can make to spark the line, as offensive lineman Jackson Powers-Johnson has missed the past two games.

Although the line had issues with Jackson-Powers on the field, they undoubtedly looked better than with him than they do without him. The Raiders must get him back on the field as soon as possible, as the season could depend on it.