3 Takeaways from Raiders' Week 10 Loss
On Sunday night, the Las Vegas Raiders had an opportunity to take control of the AFC West. The Denver Broncos and Los Angeles Chargers had both lost, and a matchup with the Kansas City Chiefs was on the docket.
The Chiefs have played inconsistently all season, but they are the defending AFC champs. Kansas City has also won the division in each of the past five years. A win might have established Las Vegas as the new powerhouse in the division, but it was not to be.
On a national stage, the Raiders fell flat in arguably their worst loss of the year. Las Vegas is still 5-4 and could be a playoff team, but Sunday's loss showed that it isn't an elite team. Here's what else we learned during the Raiders' 41-14 defeat.
Josh Jacobs Still Isn't 100 Percent
Running back Josh Jacobs has been in and out of the lineup this season because of a variety of injuries. What has become clear is that he isn't at 100 percent and may never be in 2021.
Jacobs has had some big performances. He rushed for two touchdowns in the Week 1 win over the Baltimore Ravens and found the end zone in Weeks 5, 6 and 7. However, Jacobs has averaged just 3.7 yards per carry, while backfield mate Kenyan Drake has averaged 4.1.
Against the Chiefs, Jacobs should have had an opportunity to rebound. Kansas City ranks 27th in yards per carry allowed (4.6) and 18th in rushing yards allowed. Jacobs struggled to find running room Sunday, though, finishing with only 16 yards on seven carries.
To be fair, the Raiders didn't stick with the run after getting down early, so Jacobs never had a chance to get into a rhythm. However, that doesn't change the fact that a year after earning his first Pro Bowl nod, Jacobs has struggled to be a healthy and effective starting back in 2021.
The Defense Is a Major Liability
The Raiders have gotten some good performances out of their defense this season. In Week 2, for example, it held the Pittsburgh Steelers to only 17 points and 331 total yards. The Raiders rank fifth in yards per pass attempt allowed and have logged 21 sacks on the season.
Unfortunately, the defense was a no-show against the Chiefs, who have been woefully inconsistent on offense this season.
Patrick Mahomes carved up the secondary, finishing 35-of-50 for 406 yards and five touchdowns. The Chiefs amassed 516 yards of offense and converted nine of their 15 third-down attempts. They were also a perfect 3-of-3 on fourth-down attempts.
Las Vegas consequently ranks 26th in points allowed and has surrendered at least 22 points in each of its past four games. Derek Carr and the Raiders' eighth-ranked offense can be dangerous, but Las Vegas isn't going to win consistently if its defense regularly collapses as it did Sunday.
A Skid Could Be Coming
The Raiders have lost back-to-back games for only the second time this season. However, the losing streak could continue over the next couple of weeks.
Given how inconsistent Kansas City has been, this was a winnable game for the Raiders. So was Week 9's matchup with the New York Giants. Losing both hurts because Las Vegas is entering a tough two-week stretch in which it faces the Cincinnati Bengals and the Dallas Cowboys.
As promising as the Raiders' 3-0 start to the season was, they could be staring down a 5-6 record before December arrives. The Washington Football Team, which just knocked off the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, is waiting in Week 13, and a rematch with Kansas City follows that.
The Raiders have reached a pivotal point in what has been a trying season. Sunday's loss could be the start of a significant downturn that leads to a fifth successive season without making the playoffs.