The Raiders’ main concern this offseason was their offense and whether it could score enough points to compete.
After Week 1, that’s still a huge issue, as the Raiders offense never got going against the Chargers on Sunday in a 22-10 loss. The defense played well initially but wore down late when coach Antonio Pierce needed them most.
Miscues, poor short-yardage offense, and turnovers plagued the Raiders. They still had a chance to win, but after Pierce punted on 4th-and-1 play in Los Angeles territory late in the ballgame, the Chargers waltzed downfield to turn their 16-10 lead into an insurmountable 22-10 advantage.
Here are the winners and losers for the week after a disappointing loss for this new Raiders regime.
Winner: RB Alexander Mattison
After starting running back Zamir White got off to an awful start, reserve RB Alexander Mattison got some run as an all-down back. He responded with the Raiders’ first touchdown of the season. He caught a pass from quarterback Gardner Minshew in the flat and hurdled a defender before scampering to the end zone.
Helluva highlight for the first TD of the season 🔥 #LVvsLAC | 📺 Paramount+ pic.twitter.com/wkObbmIzdK
— Las Vegas Raiders (@Raiders) September 8, 2024
Winner: LB Robert Spillane
Every great defense needs playmakers on every level. The Raiders have a star-studded defensive line and a cohesive, talented secondary, and linebacker Robert Spillane holds down the middle.
Spillane did most of his damage in the first half, as did the entire Raiders defense. But Spillane looked primed to build on his breakout 2023 campaign — especially when he went full beast mode and pushed a Chargers lineman into the backfield with enough force to make a tackle for loss.
In total, Spillane had 10 tackles with seven solo stops.
Spillin' it 😏 #LVvsLAC | 📺 @paramountplus pic.twitter.com/GQAulckWdz
— Las Vegas Raiders (@Raiders) September 8, 2024
Winner: TE Brock Bowers
It was a solid debut for rookie tight end Brock Bowers, the Raiders first-round pick this season. He finished with six catches on eight targets for 58 yards. He flashed big-play ability on a 26-yard haul.
Minshew to Bowers!
📺: #LVvsLAC on CBS/Paramount+
📱: https://t.co/waVpO909ge pic.twitter.com/5454sygpHP— NFL (@NFL) September 8, 2024
Loser: RB Zamir White
The entire offense had a subpar day, starting with short-yardage struggles in the run game. White was stuffed at the line of scrimmage twice on the Raiders’ first drive of the game. The two botched run plays came after a 9-yard gain on first down.
White was stopped again for no gain on the Raiders’ next drive, this time on 4th-and-1. He was also leveled on pass reception just before Mattison entered the game.
When it appeared White finally found some traction, he fumbled the ball after a 10-yard run. It was one of the Raiders’ three turnovers in this game.
Loser: QB Gardner Minshew
As the Raiders’ defense was still dominating late in the first half, Minshew had a terrible miscue, fumbling on an awkward pass attempt. It ruined a promising drive that seemed poised to result in at least three points for Las Vegas.
we'll take that
📺 | @nfloncbs pic.twitter.com/yw9fmaQzuV
— Los Angeles Chargers (@chargers) September 8, 2024
The Raiders got the ball to open the second half, so ideally, they would score to close the first half and then score again after halftime. Instead, the Chargers notched a field goal after Minshew’s miscue to pull within one point of Las Vegas.
Additionally, Minshew missed wide receiver Davante Adams on a crucial 3rd-and-7 play in the fourth quarter. Minshew threw to Mattison instead, who was a yard short of the sticks. That’s when Pierce decided to punt, even as the Raiders were at the Chargers 43-yard line mid-way through the final frame.
Loser: OC Luke Getsy
There’s not much to say about offensive coordinator Luke Getsy, except it’s his job to make sure the offense to keeps pace with the Raiders’ defense. Early returns aren’t good, even with a quality assortment of skill players at his disposal.
Loser: Kolton Miller/O-Line
The Raiders had just 71 rushing yards and it wasn’t all White and Getsy’s fault. Blocking in general was suspect, especially when White was stopped on 4th-and-1.
Plus, left tackle Kolton Miller was abused multiple times by defensive end Khalil Mack, who had 1.5 QB sacks on the afternoon.
Khalil Mack 😤
📺: #LVvsLAC on CBS/Paramount+
📱: https://t.co/waVpO909ge pic.twitter.com/c8bpmd4bcB— NFL (@NFL) September 8, 2024
Loser: WR Davante Adams
It’s no secret that for superstar wide receiver Davante Adams to remain happy in Las Vegas, the offense has to be productive, ideally with Adams playing a starring role.
After one week, that hasn’t happened. The offense struggled and Adams had five catches on a paltry six targets.
Loser: HC Antonio Pierce
The Raiders lost a winnable game in Pierce’s debut as the full-time coach because of mistakes and turnovers, and one of those mistakes gets credited to Pierce.
Though I understand why he punted in the fourth quarter as the Raiders were in Chargers territory trailing 16-10, I think he trusted his defense too much, especially considering the warm weather in LA on Sunday. Both the Chargers and the Raiders defense appeared fatigued late.
That should have created an opportunity for the Raiders offense on that 4th-and-1 play. Instead, Pierce punted and the Chargers took advantage of the Raiders’ tired defenders.
The Raiders looked much like we thought they would: a solid and potentially elite defense and a suspect offense. Still, they were in this game until the end.
If trends on offense and defense hold, winning the turnover battle will be even more important than usual. That didn’t happen on Sunday, so it’s no surprise the team earned a collective “L” in this matchup. They’ll get another try next week against the Ravens in Baltimore.
