The narrative remains annoyingly familiar in the aftermath of the Las Vegas Raiders’ 20-13 loss to the Miami Dolphins. The offense’s inability to capitalize overshadowed a good defensive performance.
Despite being among the highest-paid offenses in the NFL, the Raiders’ offensive failed to deliver, gaining only 36 yards on the ground, converting only four third-down opportunities, and failing to score in the second half. This season, the Raiders have only scored 19 total points in the third quarter and have only three touchdowns in three games.
Interim head coach Antonio Pierce, who took over when Josh McDaniels was fired, has failed to establish a winning recipe for the offense. Pierce can always be counted on to accept responsibility and admit that the Raiders’ offensive troubles are now his burden to address.
“Lessons must be learned.” “It starts with AP,” Pierce confessed after the loss, admitting the need for greater game management and play-calling to help his rookie quarterback Aidan O’Connell.
While the acknowledgment is commendable, it is still up to Pierce to figure it out quickly before the season and possibly his hopes of becoming the Raiders’ permanent head coach slip away.
Las Vegas Raiders aren’t doing Aidan O’Connell any favors
Aidan O’Connell, who took over as starter for Jimmy Garoppolo, has showed promise but also the inconsistency of a rookie. Three interceptions and moments of uncertainty, including two critical sacks, tarnished his 269-yard performance. The lack of movement that hindered O’Connell from being picked in the higher rounds was evident in the loss against Miami. Despite this, he possesses excellent football intelligence and has proven to be a quiet but assertive leader. He was indecisive and made some poor decisions against the Dolphins.
“I have to probably not be as predictable and use my legs a little bit,” O’Connell said, reflecting on his need to better decision-making and execution.
Bo Hardegree, the offensive coordinator, has battled to break free from McDaniels’ cautious approach. The Raiders’ offense, despite having a plethora of weapons, appears cautious, unable to capitalize on the dynamism of plays like O’Connell’s 46-yard touchdown pass to Davante Adams.
Hardegree and Pierce are tasked with developing an offensive scheme that is as assertive and effective as their defense, but Hardegree’s inconsistency early on was directly responsible for their loss against the Dolphins. He overburdened O’Connell by asking the unskilled signal caller to do too much.
“We need to do a better job of managing the game and not putting ourselves in situations where Aidan has to win,” Antonio Pierce remarked after the loss. And he is correct. Hardegree appeared to be unclear of what he was attempting. It was exacerbated by multiple defensive looks from Vic Fangio’s defense that the Raiders had not seen on tape in preparation for the game. During their postgame press interviews, Pierce and O’Connell both verified this.
The NFL can be a difficult place, and it’s reasonable that one of the league’s most regarded defensive minds might surprise the Raiders’ coaching staff. But where were the changes? Where was the awareness of what was going on? Instead, the rookie was hung out to dry and had a difficult second half.
The Raiders’ offense appeared similar to how it looked under Josh McDaniels in Miami. Its unevenness frequently killed motivation and allowed for little innovation. Pierce must take every precaution to avoid this.
Las Vegas Raiders defense needs offense to pull its weight
Unlike Hardegree, defensive coordinator Patrick Graham has led the defense and has performed admirably. The Las Vegas defense and his efforts have been formidable, including forcing three turnovers against the Dolphins. However, without a corresponding offensive, their efforts are not recorded in the win column.
As the Raiders finish the season with a record below.500, the question is whether they will be able to overcome their offensive issues in time to make a postseason push. With the defense demonstrating its ability to restrict even the finest offenses, the opposite side of the ball need immediate attention.
The Raiders face not only on-field opponents, but also the difficulty of unlocking the potential of an offense brimming with weapons yet relying on success. The Raiders have the talent to play better, and they must do so or risk losing the season.
