The boos started early on Sunday when fans were frustrated with back-to-back inside runs by Zamir White, wanting to see more creative plays instead. Things got worse as Las Vegas lost their home opener 36-22 to the Panthers, and fans directed their anger at the entire team, especially offensive coordinator Luke Getsy.
Getsy definitely shares some of the blame. His former quarterback, Justin Fields, has the Steelers off to a 3-0 start and is improving every week, which makes it harder to argue that Getsy is the right fit for the role.
However, the Raiders’ offensive struggles are not entirely Getsy’s fault. The offensive line is injured and having a tough time, there’s no running game, and most importantly, there is no franchise quarterback.
Even a coach like Andy Reid would find it tough to succeed in these conditions.
Expectations were low for the Raiders this season, and last week’s win over Baltimore had fans thinking maybe they could make a run with upcoming games against Carolina, Cleveland, and Denver.
The Panthers built a 33-7 lead, showing that the Raiders can’t take any team lightly. They are only 1-point favorites against the injured Browns, and the Broncos could be a tougher opponent after their recent win against the Buccaneers.
Raiders coach Antonio Pierce was uncertain on Monday about whether to stick with Gardner Minshew as quarterback or switch to Aidan O’Connell. He mentioned that changes could be coming for the whole team.
“After a loss like that, things need to change,” Pierce said.
He indicated he wouldn’t share any details until speaking with the players, but it’s unclear how much can be changed right now, including at quarterback. Neither Minshew nor O’Connell seems to be the kind of quarterback the Raiders need to become a playoff contender again.
First-year general manager Tom Telesco didn’t find a suitable quarterback during the offseason, and he was given some leeway due to the high cost of moving up in the draft.
However, he needs to address that position if Las Vegas wants a real chance in the future and to avoid more losses like the one against the Panthers.
