The Las Vegas Raiders lost an embarrassing game to the Carolina Panthers on Sunday, and really, it was far worse than what the scoreboard will tell you. They were down by nearly 27 for what feels like the whole second half. That's a bit of an exaggeration, but, it wasn't a good showing on either side of the ball.
After a great second half of offensive football against the Baltimore Ravens last week, you figured that maybe, just maybe, the Raiders would pick up where they left off against a team that is widely considered the worst in the league.
Against the Ravens, they moved the ball down the field in the second half much better than the first. They were able to score in the fourth to get the game in their hands, right where they wanted it, and they did so by being uber-efficient through the air.
Against the Panthers, they shot themselves in the foot, the offensive line couldn't hold a block against undrafted free agent players, it felt like, and the running game was just non-existent. So, when there were just a few minutes left in the fourth quarter, Antonio Pierce made a change.
He put Aidan O'Connell in at quarterback. After the game, the media asked if that was Minshew getting benched, or something else.
"Game was out of hand," head coach Antonio Pierce said after the game. "I have two quarterbacks who battled [all offseason], just let the other guy go in there and see what he can do."
So, while some were maybe hoping this was O'Connell becoming the starter and Minshew being benched, it wasn't that, yet. Now, O'Connell did play well and even led a touchdown drive. However, it was garbage time. He also made a throw that should have been intercepted but the defender dropped the ball.
They have an obvious issue, and at this moment it's not the quarterback. The offensive line is bad, and the playcalling hasn't helped either. Hopefully, this week, they fix it before they play the Cleveland Browns.
