The Las Vegas Raiders fell just short in a nail-biter, losing 25-24 to the Chicago Bears on September 28 at Allegiant Stadium after a crucial field goal was blocked. Nonetheless, this win for Chicago was costly for one player.
On October 4, the NFL released its Game Accountability report for Week 4. Developed in collaboration with the NFL Players Association, the report details game-related rule violations that could lead to accountability actions, aiming to protect players while maintaining competitive balance and the integrity of the game.
Bears running back Roschon Johnson appeared on the report for unnecessary roughness for the usage of his helmet on a Raiders player in the fourth quarter at the 11:38 mark. As a result, the league is fining him $6,790 for that incident.
Geno Smith Looks to Bounce Back After Bears Loss
Although Johnson or any NFL player doesn’t want to get a fine from the league, he didn’t have the worst afternoon in that game. Geno Smith had a tough performance, finishing 14 of 21 for 117 yards with two touchdowns but throwing three interceptions. Turnovers have been a persistent problem for the veteran quarterback over the past three weeks.
Smith was candid about his struggles, openly criticizing his performance against the Bears and acknowledging the ongoing issues in recent games.
“No. 1, take care of the ball, not throwing interceptions,” Smith told the media after the loss. “That’s the simplest way I can put it to you. First of all, I owe it to my teammates to go out there and play better. I felt like we had a great week of practice; I felt like the process was there.
“I felt like I was feeling good about what I was seeing. The game plan was great. Guys fought their tails off. We deserve to get this win and I let those guys down. So, there’s a lot of things I’m going to have to fix within myself. That’s the reality.”
Raiders QB Geno Smith Could Use Anger to Fuel Improvement
Smith also acknowledged feeling anger and frustration with himself over his performances. The Raiders have had opportunities to secure victories against the Los Angeles Chargers and Bears, but costly turnovers ultimately swung the outcomes in the opponents’ favor.
“More so just anger. You know, I know I got to be better. And, for me as a player, like I said, man, I pride myself on my process and the way that I go about things, and you know, there’s some things that I got to do better. I mean, it’s flat out, and it’s in terms of my play on the field. You know, I felt like, like I said, we had a great week of practice. Preparation was there. [The] guys were dialed in.
“You saw how Ashton ran the ball today; you saw how the line played today. You saw how our guys were getting open and how our defense played inspired. How our crowd was electric throughout the game, you know, and if you look at the difference in the game, it was the turnovers, you know, so I mean, simply put, I got to be better.”
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