It took me a while to work up the courage to rewatch this game.
And honestly, it was not pretty.
The Washington Commanders rolled the Raiders 41-24, looking comfortable from the first snap – even without Jayden Daniels.
Truthfully, it felt like they could have won with Jack Daniels at quarterback.
No push, no protection
This one was lost in the trenches on both sides of the ball.
The offensive line gave Geno Smith almost nothing – constant pressure, broken pockets and no space for the run game.
Ashton Jeanty still found flashes, breaking tackles and earning yards after contact. But when your rookie back gets more yards after contact than before, then you know something is very off.
On defense, it was the opposite problem.
The Commanders ran at will, carving up chunks of yards and exposing every gap.
The pass rush was not much better either. Maxx Crosby was swallowed up by double and triple teams while everyone else barely got close.
Maybe not all doom and gloom
I will admit it: I watched most of this game from behind the couch. But there were bright spots.
Geno Smith looked sharper than last week, building a connection with Tre Tucker.
Tucker delivered some huge plays, including two touchdowns that kept things respectable.
Jeanty, once again, battled through chaos. The rookie has heart and when the line is not Swiss cheese, I think he will shine.
And credit where it is due, the secondary is holding up better than expected. Not elite, but much steadier than we feared in August.
Are we destined for last place again?
Pre-season predictions had us glued to the bottom of the AFC West, and I wanted to believe otherwise.
But three weeks in, we have had one solid showing and two ugly losses, each for different reasons.
Can the Raiders steady the ship and grind out some wins?
Or are we headed for another year of misery, where I cannot even show my face at the HuddleUK year-end lunch?
