Raiders coach Antonio Pierce was asked on Monday if there was any part of the offense he could trust to perform when needed. “No,” Pierce replied.
This response reflects the current situation of Las Vegas’s offense as they approach the midpoint of the season, and the numbers support this view.
Before the game against Cincinnati on Sunday, the Raiders’ offense ranked near the bottom of the NFL in scoring, total yards, rushing, and third- and fourth-down conversions. They were average in passing.
It’s no surprise that the Raiders are 2-6 and on a four-game losing streak, averaging only 16.5 points during this stretch, which is among the lowest.
Pierce wants to create an identity for the offense that is tough and hard-hitting, similar to his style when he played for the Giants. However, he is still searching for that identity.
“I don’t think any team in the NFL with a new offensive coordinator and quarterback is just clicking right now,” Pierce said. “But for us, I want to run the ball. I want to be physical. I want to be able to throw the ball deep and take chances.
“But all of that has to connect with the situation, play calling, and execution. Everyone is involved. There are times when we show good potential.”
He highlighted that the Raiders have recently started well in games, scoring touchdowns on the opening drives of three of their last four games.
However, after those initial drives, both teams make adjustments, and that’s where Las Vegas has struggled the most. This is somewhat expected.
Former All-Pro wide receiver Davante Adams missed three games due to a hamstring injury before being traded to the Jets two weeks ago. The new top receiver, Jakobi Meyers, also missed two games because of an ankle injury before returning last week.
The Raiders are still looking for a franchise quarterback, and there were no expectations that Gardner Minshew would be that player when he signed a two-year, $25 million contract in the offseason.
He was signed as a temporary quarterback until the Raiders could find a true standout, but the hope was that Minshew, who has shown he can make teams competitive at times, could at least help the team aim for a playoff spot.
However, Minshew has struggled with turnovers, leading the league with 11, and he was benched in favor of Aidan O’Connell after five games. Minshew quickly regained his job when O’Connell got injured in the first quarter of his first start this season.
Minshew had his best game of the season in Sunday’s 27-20 loss to the Chiefs, throwing for 209 yards and two touchdowns, with a passer rating of 117.9.
“Felt like we were doing a good job of … establishing drives and staying on the field,” Minshew said. “I thought we did some good things on third down. Now it’s kind of looking at those three-and-outs, the quick drives. How do we sustain? How do we just be more consistent there?”
His performance against Kansas City was marred by a fumble that led to a touchdown, allowing Kansas City to extend its lead to 14 points with 4:59 left.
However, Minshew isn’t the only one responsible for the offense’s struggles. He has faced extra pressure trying to make plays with a run game that ranks 31st in the NFL, averaging just 79 yards per game.
A mix of poor run blocking from an offensive line that has faced multiple injuries and underwhelming performances from the running backs has led to these disappointing results.
There were high hopes for Zamir White after he rushed for 397 yards in four starts at the end of last season. However, he started slowly, got a groin injury, and watched Alexander Mattison take his place.
Neither running back has performed well, combining for only 429 rushing yards and averaging 3.1 yards per carry.
In his two games back from injury, White has rushed for just 12 yards on five carries. Pierce mentioned that White hasn’t had enough opportunities to get into a rhythm.
“Sometimes the (game) flow doesn’t allow that, but we got to find ways to get him in the game and keep him in,” Pierce said.
White expressed his eagerness to contribute more. “Every play, I’m like, ‘Man, I just want to be out there right now,’” White said. “Anything I can do to help the team.”
The lack of overall production has led to an offense that has scored fewer than 20 points in half of its games.
Whether it’s due to players not executing or first-year offensive coordinator Luke Getsy not calling the right plays, the bottom line is the Raiders aren’t getting the job done.
“There’s no one person to blame,” Mattison said. “There’s no one situation to blame. There’s no one part of the game to blame. It’s a collective effort.”
