Offensive Ineptitude Continues to be Raiders' Achilles Heel

The Las Vegas Raiders' defense has played admirably this season. The Raiders' offense has not held up their end of the bargain.

Oct 27, 2024; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Gardner Minshew (15) is sacked by Kansas City Chiefs defensive tackle Tershawn Wharton (98) during the third quarter at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images / Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images

Eight games into the season, the Las Vegas Raiders are what they are and that is a bad football team.

This is primarily the case on offense, as the defense has been without multiple key starters for most of the season and has continued to play well. Unfortunately, compounding the injury issues the Raiders' defense has had this season, they continue to be left out to dry by an offense that cannot do much of anything right.

Two weeks in a row, the Raiders' defense forced a turnover late in the game. The turnovers led to the Raiders' offense starting their offensive drive in the red zone, needing only a few yards to score a touchdown. Even worse, both times, the Raiders could have taken the lead with a touchdown. In both situations, the Raiders failed to convert.

Last week, against the Los Angeles Rams, the Raiders passed the ball three straight times on the goal line, against the league's worst rushing defense, eventually kicking a field goal. This week against the Kansas City Chiefs, the Raiders ran the ball three times and took a sack on fourth down, turning the ball over on downs.

Both instances took all the momentum the Raiders' defense had built with timely turnovers and gave it right back to the opposing team.

Raiders coach Antonio Pierce credited the opposing defense with playing well but also knows the team must work hard to improve.

“I'm trying to establish some physicality with our guys up front,” Pierce said after Sunday's loss. “Right there at the 3-yard line, you have to pound it in. Turnover, sudden change. You should be able to punch that ball in. Last week, we had the same opportunity, and we threw it four straight times. Trying to get it. We just got knocked back. They won the line of scrimmage on those plays.

“It's not going to change. We're going to keep working on it, go back to the lab. Listen, three out of the last four, I thought we did a good job rushing the ball, and then obviously, we came up against a team that stopped the run."

Raiders quarterback Gardner Minshew admitted not being able to convert on golden opportunities two weeks in a row was frustrating. Like Pierce, Minshew emphasized that the Raiders must take advantage of opportunities to score, especially so close to the endzone.

“Yeah, it's really frustrating,” Minshew said. “That's obviously something we have to be better at. We've been getting down there a few times. The defense put us down there a few times. We have to be able to get it in the end zone, point-blank, period, if we want to be the team we have to be. I think we'll have to look at it, figure out what we've done well over the last little bit, and figure out what's not working and go from there.”

Ensure you follow on X (Twitter) @HondoCarpenter and IG @HondoSr and never miss another breaking news story again.

Please let us know your thoughts when you like our Facebook page WHEN YOU CLICK RIGHT HERE.