LAS VEGAS — There were plenty of reasons for the Las Vegas Raiders to have a rough performance on offense Sunday. They were going against a Pittsburgh Steelers unit that entered this week ranked second in scoring defense. They also took the field without four starters — receivers Davante Adams and Jakobi Meyers, running back Zamir White and right tackle Thayer Munford — and then lost another one in right guard Dylan Parham.
Given the circumstances, it’s hardly a surprise that the Raiders struggled to put up points in a 32-13 loss at home. What was harder to understand, however, was the conservative approach by the coaching staff on offense.
Rather than proactively trying to move the ball and score, they looked to be doing their best to prevent the offense from making mistakes. Cautious decision-making is one thing, but this was next level. The outcome was 13 points in a game where they averaged just 4.6 yards per play (their second-lowest mark this season) and tied their season high with three turnovers. Coach Antonio Pierce and offensive coordinator Luke Getsy both shoulder the blame for constructing what was a timid game plan.
“I’d like to see positive plays,” Pierce said Sunday when asked if the team needed to be more aggressive on offense. “Right now, we don’t have enough of them on the grass. That’s on all of us.”
This broken offense is the biggest reason the Raiders are just 2-4 headed into a tough slate against the Los Angeles Rams, Kansas City Chiefs and Cincinnati Bengals before their Week 10 bye.
“We have guys that want to go to work,” quarterback Aidan O’Connell, who made his first start of the season, said. “It’s a long season, and there’s a lot of other teams in the NFL that aren’t where they want to be. It just takes looking (at) ourselves in the mirror.”
Things will remain ugly for the Raiders offense moving forward barring a dramatic shift in ideology. The driving force behind the benching of quarterback Gardner Minshew in favor of O’Connell this week was that they believed they needed to take better care of the football. Minshew had committed six turnovers (tied for third most in the NFL) through Week 5.
But O’Connell didn’t fare much better. He completed 27 of his 40 passes for 227 yards, one meaningless touchdown and one horrendous interception. His accuracy was erratic on intermediate and deep throws all game, and his pick in the fourth quarter all but sealed the outcome.
ACTION JACKSON 🎬
📲 Stream on NFL+: https://t.co/COxKRnrEBK pic.twitter.com/MbsBbrkZYy
— Pittsburgh Steelers (@steelers) October 13, 2024
“It’s just frustrating,” O’Connell said. “We had some self-inflicted wounds.”
O’Connell is a limited player. He’s smart, but he has average arm talent, doesn’t move well in the pocket and lacks the feel or skills necessary to create when a play doesn’t go as planned.
That said, the Raiders played offense like they didn’t trust O’Connell. It’s hard to expect any quarterback to have much success when that’s the case.
Pierce and Getsy’s edict was clearly for O’Connell to get the ball out quickly and allow the Raiders’ pass catchers to create in space. He averaged just 6.0 air yards per attempt (fourth lowest among quarterbacks in Week 6) according to TruMedia. That worked well on the Raiders’ 10-play, 70-yard opening drive that ended in an Alexander Mattison touchdown, but the Steelers defense swiftly adjusted when it realized there was no threat of O’Connell challenging them downfield.
Instead of mixing things up in response, the Raiders just kept doing the same thing to no avail. When asked about it after the game, Pierce indicated that O’Connell passed on some opportunities that were there.
“There were some calls for some shots down the field. Obviously, we didn’t take them,” Pierce said. “The quarterback, early on, I thought was doing a good job of getting the ball out of his hands. … When you’ve got shots down the field, a lot of things have got to play into it. You want to get the look and then, sometimes, you’ve just got to let it rip.”
The run game was ineffective again. Mattison started his second straight game and was limited to 33 yards on 13 carries. Overall, the Raiders averaged just 3.0 yards per carry and totaled only 57 rushing yards. That left O’Connell and the passing game on an island.
Yet the Raiders continuously displayed a lack of faith in O’Connell. When facing a third-and-11 on their second possession, Getsy called a handoff that went for 7 yards but resulted in a punt. After a rough sequence for the offense that included a three-and-out and a fumble by running back Dylan Laube deep in their own territory, the Steelers entered halftime with a 12-7 lead.
PUNCHED OUT BY @_TJWatt 💪
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— Pittsburgh Steelers (@steelers) October 13, 2024
“The turnover thing is embarrassing,” Pierce said. “We don’t respect the ball enough, so we don’t even deserve a chance to put ourselves in a position to win.”
The Raiders got the ball back to start the second half, but instead of ramping up the aggressiveness, they played it tight. After a holding penalty negated an amazing catch by tight end Brock Bowers, the Raiders basically gave up on the drive.
On first-and-20, they ran the ball. On second-and-18, they ran the ball again. On third-and-18, a checkdown fell incomplete. Their reward was a blocked AJ Cole punt on fourth down that set up a backbreaking Steelers touchdown.
That sequence was cowardly, and it cost the Raiders dearly.
“I’m super confident in our locker room,” O’Connell said. “I look around at our players and I know the work that’s been put in. We know we can do it. … I still have full confidence in our guys. That’s definitely not going to waver for me.”
The Raiders coaching staff has to reflect that same confidence for the offense to have a chance.
Of course, the defense had its fair share of issues, too. Pierce, defensive coordinator Patrick Graham and the players talked about how they need to tackle better all week, but that didn’t happen against the Steelers.
The Las Vegas pass defense was stout, but Pittsburgh was able to pound the Raiders on the ground. They rushed for 183 yards as quarterback Justin Fields frequently evaded defenders while running back Najee Harris ran them over like he was Marshawn Lynch. The defense was also whistled for several untimely penalties that extended drives for the Steelers.
“It’s bull—,” defensive end Maxx Crosby said. “We’ve got to find ways to get better.”
Still, the defense kept the Raiders alive for most of the game. Ultimately, they were done in by the ineptness of their offense.
Would the unit benefit from being more aggressive?
“It depends,” receiver DJ Turner said. “In certain situations, I think that is the best way to go. But, in other situations, you’ve got to stick with the game plan and see what works out best.”
Of course, the Raiders being more assertive on offense doesn’t mean they’ll suddenly evolve into the greatest show on grass. After all, they don’t have an answer at quarterback, the offensive line is inconsistent and the skill position talent is mediocre without Adams, who asked to be traded two weeks ago.
Still, going down swinging would be better than this.
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(Photo of Aidan O’Connell: Ethan Miller / Getty Images)
