The Las Vegas Raiders were embarrassed in Denver. It was their first loss to the Broncos since 2019 when they were still the Oakland Raiders.
After going up 10-0, the Raiders self-destructed in a disaster so spectacular that it had to be seen to be believed. Starting quarterback Gardner Minshew threw a 100-yard pick-six to Patrick Surtain II, a Broncos team record. After that, it almost felt like the team lost all of the fight left in them despite the score being 10-10 at the time.
The Game Shifted on One Play
It’s very rare in sports that you can feel an entire game shift in one play. After that pick-six, Minshew was laughably bad on the field. He started missing open receivers, held onto the ball too long, and threw another interception. It led to his benching for backup quarterback Aidan O’Connell who also threw a pick. The Las Vegas Raiders crowd was brought back to life after the interception which didn’t help matters either.
The CBS announcing crew for the game took note of what happened after the interception as well. They stated that it felt like the entire Las Vegas Raiders sidelines gave up after the play. It’s an indictment on the leadership of rookie head coach Antonio Pierce if one big play is enough to deflate the team. Pierce got the job thanks to the support of the players, but that support might be wavering.
Pierce is Still Struggling As Head Coach
One of the reasons why the Las Vegas Raiders lost in Week 1 was they punted the ball inside Chargers territory at a critical juncture of the game. Pierce decided to defend the decision multiple times after the game, and he stated that he felt like it was the right decision. Maybe it shouldn’t come as a surprise then that Pierce made the same mistake in Denver, though it didn’t backfire as immediately.
On third and five with two minutes left in the first half, the Raiders ran the ball up the middle to get to fourth and two on the Denver 40. Everybody expected them to go for it on fourth down since that was the most logical decision with a 10-10 score. Instead, Pierce sent out Pro Bowl punter A.J. Cole. Denver didn’t score on their drive unlike LA did, but the Las Vegas Raiders offense never got any rhythm again.
Las Vegas Raiders Needed Davante Adams
The absence of Las Vegas Raiders star Davante Adams was incredibly apparent. Brock Bowers was the only consistent receiving threat all day long, as Jakobi Meyers and Tre Tucker both heavily struggled. Minshew wasn’t getting the ball to open receivers, but Meyers and Tucker both struggled to get any sort of separation from coverage. That’s part of the reason why Minshew held onto the football too long, which led to sacks.
Adams is expected to be traded by the team very soon. The long saga of his eventual departure is soon reaching its final hour. At the same time, it’s incredibly apparent this team now has a massive hole at the receiver position. The offense looked lost with him out there but it was borderline unwatchable without him. Regardless of where Adams goes, the Las Vegas Raiders now need a number-one wide receiver.
The Streak is Over, Week 6 and Beyond Outlook
For the first time in eight games, the Denver Broncos defeated the Las Vegas Raiders. With the second-longest winning streak in rivalry history coming to an end, this team is at a crossroads. They’re 2-3 but it feels like they are 0-5 on the season. All of the momentum that the team built up at the end of last season has disappeared, and key players are already wanting out.
They have a critical matchup next week against the Pittsburgh Steelers. They’re back home in front of a crowd that will likely be mostly Steelers fans given how well the “Steeler Nation” fanbase travels. It’s unknown at this point who the starting quarterback is going to be, given that Minshew was benched for O’Connell for a second time. Regardless, the season seems to be slipping away already.
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