Raiders' Rushing Attack Silenced Against Chiefs

The Las Vegas Raiders finished Sunday's game with 33 total rushing yards against the Kansas City Chiefs.

Oct 27, 2024; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Las Vegas Raiders running back Alexander Mattison (22) is tackled 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

For Raider Nation, it has not been the season they have hoped for as the National Football League heads to the midpoint mark of the season.

Heading into Allegiant Stadium Sunday, it seemed like all the frustrations could be relieved if the Las Vegas Raiders could somehow pull out an upset victory over the back-to-back defending Super Bowl champions and undefeated Kansas City Chiefs in front of their home crowd. 

For that upset to happen, it would need all phases to gel well with each other. Offensively the Raiders found some success through the air, but their ground game was inadequate. Six different Raiders got an opportunity in the run game and all six Raiders were unable to make anything substantial happen. 

Alexander Mattison led the charge with 14 carriers for a total of just 15 yards. Tre Tucker took his one run for 7 yards. Gardner Minshew Ⅱ took two carries for 6 yards, lowlighted by a fumble on his rushing attempt. DJ Turner had one carry for 4 yards while Ameer Abdullah gained 2 yards. Zamir White, who was expected to be the team's leading running back this season, had two attempts for a negative yard. White was a great asset the last time Las Vegas and Kansas City played back on Christmas in 2023 as White rushed for 145 on 22 attempts. 

There are multiple areas Raider Nation can point to as to what they think the problem is in regards to the rushing game. The coaching staff, offensive line, personnel and players are just a few examples, but one alarming fact that everyone in the organization is alarmed by is the execution inside the red zone to put up points. 

Twice during the third quarter, Las Vegas started a new set of downs inside their five-yard line and both times failed to convert with touchdowns. That is unacceptable and a key reason games are won and lost. 

The Raiders finished with 33 total rushing yards on Sunday, although that yardage is concerning, it is not as low as it has been this season. Arguably, Las Vegas' best game of the 2024 season came when it defeated the Baltimore Ravens on the road. Even then, the Raiders finished that game with 28 rushing yards. 

The lack of production on the ground was one of the main reasons the Raiders fell to the Chiefs on Sunday, and it continues to be an alarming issue for the offense.

Raider Nation wants to see high numbers on the post-game summary, but at the end of the day, the only numbers they want to see are one above the opponent for that week, no matter what the rushing yardage mark is at, Raider Nation deserves to feel confident when the team gets inside the 5-yard line to put points up on the board and have a rushing game they can rely on.

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