3 Takeaways from Raiders' Week 1 Loss
The Josh McDaniels era didn't get off to the start that Las Vegas Raiders fans hoped to see. The Raiders played a close one against the rival Los Angeles Chargers, but mistakes cost them a chance to start 1-0.
Derek Carr had one of his most up-and-down outings as a Raiders quarterback, finishing with 295 yards and two touchdowns but also tossing three interceptions. Credit goes to Los Angeles' new-look defense, but it was also likely the product of Las Vegas' transition to a new offense in 2022.
Carr's first interception came deep in Raiders territory and directly led to a Chargers touchdown. In a five-point loss, one could argue that it was the difference. Carr also fumbled twice, though Las Vegas didn't lose possession on either.
The Raiders defense, meanwhile, had few answers for Chargers QB Justin Herbert. The third-year signal-caller completed 26 of 34 passes for 279 yards and three touchdowns with no interceptions. He was allowed to operate from a clean pocket far too often.
Still, the fact that Las Vegas played far from its A-game and still had a chance to win should give fans hope for the rest of the season. This is still a playoff-caliber team, and these are our biggest takeaways from its 24-19 loss.
The Run Defense Looks Stout; the Pass Defense, Not so Much
The new-look Raiders defense showed some positives against Los Angeles. Patrick Graham's unit was stout against the run and often forced Herbert to carry the Chargers offense.
Starting back Austin Ekeler finished with only 36 rushing yards. As a team, L.A. averaged just 2.5 yards per carry and notched a mere five first downs on the ground. The problem is that a one-dimensional offense was too much for the Raiders.
Perhaps Las Vegas overestimated its secondary depth when it traded cornerback Trayvon Mullen to the Arizona Cardinals in late August. Maybe the Chargers' collection of pass-catchers is just that good—and nine different players caught balls from Herbert on Sunday. Whatever the reason, Herbert was able to find wide-open targets far too often.
Perhaps the more concerning issue is that the Raiders struggled to pressure Herbert. The offseason acquisition of Chandler Jones was supposed to give Las Vegas one of the league's best pass-rushing tandems. He and Maxx Crosby may still be a formidable duo, but Herbert rarely faced heavy pressure.
Herbert was not sacked and did not commit a turnover. The pass rush and the coverage have to be better next week against the Arizona Cardinals if the Raiders hope to avoid an 0-2 start.
The Raiders Need to Seek Offensive Line Help Immediately
It's hard to knock Las Vegas' release of Alex Leatherwood late last month. The 2021 first-round pick represented a poor decision by a former regime, and he didn't show enough progress during the offseason.
It is entirely fair, however, to criticize the lack of additions Las Vegas made to its line in the offseason. The Raiders knew that Leatherwood was a problem, and they lost a starting-caliber guard in Denzelle Good to retirement. However, the Raiders did little aside from using a third-round pick on Dylan Parham and a seventh-rounder on Thayer Munford Jr.
On Sunday, Las Vegas' offensive line appeared just as problematic as it was in 2021.
Led by offseason acquisition Khalil Mack, the Chargers pass rush had its way with the Raiders line. Carr was sacked five times and was constantly under pressure—which influenced his accuracy and decision-making.
The Chargers even notched a sack on Davante Adams late in the third quarter.
On a positive note, the line did open some holes for running back Josh Jacobs, who averaged 5.7 yards per carry. However, the Raiders didn't lean on the run often and finished with a mere 64 ground yards.
This was a shootout game, and the Raiders line is going to be a problem when Carr engages in a quarterback duel. It would behoove Las Vegas to seek external line help immediately.
Davante Adams Remains a Star
It wasn't all bad for the Raiders, as Adams noted after the game. Had Las Vegas made one or two fewer mistakes, it easily could have won.
"I look at it as something that’s encouraging because we beat ourselves today," Adams said, per Levi Damien of Raiders Wire.
Adams, of course, was one of the Raiders' brightest spots on Sunday. He finished with 10 receptions for 141 yards and a touchdown. It was fair to wonder if the five-time Pro Bowler could still be a dominant playmaker after leaving the Green Bay Packers and Aaron Rodgers. Against L.A., he showed that he's still a pass-catching force.
The big takeaway here is that Adams can be even better as the season progresses. He and Carr played college ball together at Fresno State, and while they've rekindled some of their prior chemistry, there's room for improvement.
Adams was targeted 17 times on the afternoon. Had Carr connected with him at a higher clip, things may have unfolded very differently.
It's clear, though, that Adams is going to remain a high-volume receiver in Las Vegas. The Raiders have some great complementary players in Hunter Renfrow and Darren Waller, but it's looking like the passing game will run through Adams this season. Expect him to deliver more often than not.