The Las Vegas Raiders‘ offensive breakout last week against the Jacksonville Jaguars was clearly an anomaly. The group was only able to muster seven points in a 10-7 loss to the Denver Broncos in Week 10.
The offense looked decent on the first couple of drives, as they were able to move the ball on the ground with Ashton Jeanty. However, starting right guard Jackson Powers-Johnson had to leave the game early due to an ankle injury. The run game went downhill after that.
Powers-Johnson was in a ton of pain, so there was a lot of concern that it was a serious injury. Unfortunately, it sounds like he’s going to miss some time, according to head coach Pete Carroll.
“He hurt his ankle,” Carroll said of Powers-Johnson after the loss. “He’ll be out for a while.
It’s unclear exactly how serious the injury is. The Raiders are halfway through the season, and they aren’t going to the playoffs, so it might make sense to hold him out for the rest of the year regardless. It’s been a tough season for Powers-Johnson, but he was finally starting to play well. This is a devastating blow for the young offensive lineman and the Raiders.
Raiders Suffered Other Injuries
To make matters worse, starting quarterback Geno Smith also got banged up. He hurt his quad in the second half, which led to Kenny Pickett having to briefly come back in. Smith toughed out the injury and continued taking snaps, but he clearly wasn’t feeling good.
Carroll revealed that Smith likely suffered a quad contusion, which shouldn’t keep him out, especially since the Raiders have extra time before Week 11. It has been a very tough season for Smith, who threw his 12th interception of the year, which is the most in the NFL.
Even if Smith is healthy, the Raiders need to at least consider making a change at quarterback. The offense is a disaster, and Smith isn’t playing well. It might make sense to let Kenny Pickett or Aidan O’Connell get some play over the second half of the season.
Season Officially in Freefall for Raiders
It could be argued that the Raiders’ season was in freefall following the 31-0 Week 7 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, but they did have a win against the Tennessee Titans the week before. Week 9’s loss against the Jacksonville Jaguars effectively ended any playoff hopes, but they at least kept the game really close and could’ve easily tied.
The Week 10 loss against the Broncos signals that the Raiders are obviously a sinking ship. They had so many opportunities to take control of the game, but faltered every time. Prior to the season, it seemed like a lock that Carroll would get at least three years to turn the franchise around.
Somehow, the Raiders look significantly worse than last season. He’s officially on the hot seat, and offensive coordinator Chip Kelly might not have a job by Week 11. All Las Vegas can do now is play for draft position, and if general manager John Spytek keeps his job, he needs to start thinking about quarterbacks.
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