Typical Las Vegas Raiders.
I know what you are thinking — how can a team lose during a week they did not even play?
Well, leave it to the Las Vegas Raiders to find a way.
Sure, signing Tyler Lockett might look like a decent move on paper. But honestly, I just can not see it as a win.
How did that statement go?
In my last article, I said the Raiders could make a statement against the Kansas City Chiefs. And boy, did they ever — just not the one we wanted.
They made a statement all right. A statement that said: “We give up!”
The offense was truly shocking. I could hardly believe my eyes.
Zero points. In this modern NFL where teams score for fun, we managed none.
Just 95 total yards, with only 67 through the air. We could not move the ball in any way, shape, or form.
A total gut punch to carry into the bye week.
AFC West issues
While we sat on the sidelines, the rest of the division decided to twist the knife.
The LA Chargers beat the Minnesota Vikings. The Denver Broncos took down the Dallas Cowboys. And of course, the Chiefs rolled the Washington Commanders.
Honestly, I can not think of a worse possible week for the Raiders to not play.
If the mountain already looked steep after last week’s thrashing, it is now a full-on vertical climb.
Every other team is moving forward, and we are stuck staring up the cliff.
What can we expect next?
What can head coach Pete Carroll even do at this point to get the lads going? Can anything really change in the next few weeks? Or is that the smell of tanking starting to fill the air?
The next two games — against the Jacksonville Jaguars and Dallas Cowboys — could define the entire season.
This has to be the “now or never” stretch. If we can not pull it together here, then it might be time to start selling.
Maxx Crosby has already been linked with a few teams, and Jakobi Meyers too.
If the plan is to rebuild, maybe we just rip the bandage off, collect picks, and rebuild that offensive line from scratch.
Still, even after all this frustration, there is a small part of me that hopes they prove me wrong.
It is the curse of being a Raiders fan — just enough hope to come back every week.
