Las Vegas Raiders at Los Angeles Chargers: 5 things we learned

Las Vegas Raiders at Los Angeles Chargers: 5 things we learned

Jon Gruden needs to work on his decision-making

Simply put, Jon Gruden has been far too conservative this season with his offense but he has also been aggressive in situations that didn’t call for it. There have been several instances this season when the Raiders faced fourth and short and a touchdown or even a first down would have gone a long way towards deciding the game.

The major examples that come to mind were against the New England Patriots when the Raiders kicked a field goal down 23-10, against Tampa Bay down 24-17, and the two situations this week against Los Angeles. The first situation against the Chargers was the most egregious as the Raiders, up 28-20, were facing fourth and two from the Charger 42.

The Raiders defense had been holding on for dear life at that point and at no point looked capable of getting stops consistently so why punt the ball for a net of 24 yards? Gruden has to trust his offense in that situation to get the 2 yards and potentially add a field goal or touchdown to bolster their lead.

The second situation was more clear cut as the Raiders again faced fourth and two but this time were in the redzone and were up by two points. A field goal made it a five-point game and forced the Chargers to try and score a touchdown to win rather than just kick a field goal. It ended up being the right decision but it may have been a moot point had the Raiders gone for it on the previous fourth down.

Gruden’s decision to be aggressive at the end of the first half was bizarre as it did not fit his usual pattern and it lead to a free three points for the Chargers. The veteran head coach needs to be smarter about picking his spots and needs to know that he simply can’t trust his defense at this point in the season.