In the first few weeks, the Las Vegas Raiders have not played well offensively. It has been almost painful to watch. They’re 1-2 but could be 0-3. In 12 quarters of football, the offense has been in sync for exactly one of them. The other 11 quarters have featured a cycle of punts and turnovers. Given the talent level involved, it’s been shocking to see them struggle this badly.
‘We Won’t Have a Juggernaut Offense’
This is what Las Vegas Raiders Head Coach Antonio Pierce said before the season. Expecting a juggernaut offense was, and is, “unrealistic.” While Pierce is right in that a top-five offense might be unrealistic, the offense is the reason they’re 1-2 instead of 3-0.
The Las Vegas Raiders currently sport the league’s worst rushing attack with an entire scheme built around running the football. They have to make adjustments to the scheme, something they’ve proven unable to do. In last week’s game against the Panthers, they stuck to the same run-run-pass sequence that wasn’t working even when they were down by 20 points.
Players They Have Might Not Fit
One of the biggest problems the Las Vegas Raiders have is the players they have might not fit the scheme they’re running. Zamir White balled out last season running through the holes in a power blocking scheme. He’s had issues trying to find gaps in this team’s zone-blocking scheme.
Quarterback Gardner Minshew’s arm at times has appeared to struggle to push the ball downfield. That doesn’t work well when the passing game is built off of play-action passes downfield. Add in the struggling running game, and teams are sitting in coverage waiting for passes to be delivered to the defense.
Offensive Line Has Been Breached
One of the biggest issues facing the Las Vegas Raiders has been the play of the offensive line. Last week saw a massive improvement thanks to the debut of rookie Jackson Powers-Johnson. Powers-Johnson looked great in his debut, and Minshew had plenty of time to pass.
The Las Vegas Raiders need more of this going forward after a rough first two weeks. At the same time, the run blocking still hasn’t improved. This is evident given that they’re dead-last in rushing in the league. Pierce has been critical of the scheme and the run blocking as well, though there’s more focus on his quote about “business decisions” right now.
Use the Playmakers More Often
In the one quarter where the team had a good offense, they got the football to their big-time players. Davante Adams and Brock Bowers powered the team to their win over Baltimore. Against Los Angeles and Carolina, the Las Vegas Raiders failed to get either player the football very often.
The old-school football philosophy of running to set up the pass isn’t working. The reliance on screen passes and run-pass options isn’t working either since the failing running game is bringing defenders to the line of scrimmage as well. Since they’re sticking with Minshew as QB, they need to emphasize getting the ball out quickly to their big-play receivers.
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