Regressing Raiders not a playoff team yet, not with this defense
Raiders #Raiders
LAS VEGAS — The Las Vegas Raiders are not a playoff team. Not yet. Not with this defense. And not with the, ahem, showing it put on film Sunday against the Indianapolis Colts.
A less-than-inspiring 44-27 loss at home against a team they are fighting with for a playoff spot will do that — and then some. Especially with every game the Raiders (7-6) play from here on out essentially being a playoff game to get into the postseason.
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No, with the Raiders’ defense getting torched — it surrendered 298 yards of offense to the Colts (9-4) in the first half — despite the return of safety Johnathan Abram, who was often a liability in coverage and had a costly penalty, and running back Josh Jacobs not showing a good look by trolling fans and fantasy managers mere hours before kickoff by saying he was not going to play, these Raiders are not ready. Not yet. Not with three Colts TDs of 40-plus yards.
Describe the game in two words: Embarrassing. Again. Maybe not as much as the 43-6 blowout in Atlanta two weeks ago, but with so much on the line and this being the start of a three-game homestand, yeah, embarrassing, again.
Troubling trend: The book is out on the Raiders’ defense – gash ’em with the run. Here are the number of yards Las Vegas has surrendered on the ground the past four games — 108 to Kansas City, 125 to Atlanta, 206 to the New York Jets and 212 to the Colts. Yikes. Oh, and all six of the Raiders’ penalties Sunday were against (drum roll, please) the defense.
Derek Carr and the Raiders struggled to keep up with the Colts’ explosive plays. AP Photo/Isaac Brekken
QB breakdown: There’s only so much Derek Carr can do when he has no defense and, well, no running game. The pick-six in the fourth quarter bounced off Jalen Richard’s hands and, trailing from the jump, the Raiders were a one-dimensional team. Again. Still, Carr did have two touchdown passes that traveled at least 15 yards downfield. He has had only one other game this season with two such TDs: the win at the Chiefs in Week 5, per ESPN Stats & Information research. He finished with 316 yards passing in completing 31 of 45 attempts, with the two TDs and two interceptions for an 85.0 passer rating. He also had a 5-yard TD run late, after Marcus Mariota began warming up on the sidelines and put on his helmet.
Silver lining: One of the teams the Raiders are chasing for a playoff spot, the Miami Dolphins, also lost on Sunday, so Las Vegas remains one game behind the Dolphins. And the Raiders play host to Miami on Dec. 26. Of course, the Raiders have to handle their business on a short week against the Los Angeles Chargers at home Thursday night first.
Eye-popping NextGen Stat: Sure, Carr could have put a little more air under his second-quarter end zone pass to Darren Waller — or thrown it a little farther — at the back left pylon. But Kenny Moore’s leaping one-handed interception was the stuff of highlight reels. In fact, prior to Moore’s pick, Carr had been 5-of-6 for 90 yards and a TD on throws in which Moore was the nearest defender at the time of the pass arrival.