Raiders struggle again at home, lose crucial matchup to Cincinnati
By Brad Weiss
The Las Vegas Raiders once again were beaten soundly at home, this time by a Cincinnati Bengals team struggling to put together wins.
In Week 11 action on Sunday, the Las Vegas Raiders played host to the Cincinnati Bengals desperately needing a win. After losing two straight, including a blowout loss to Kansas City in Week 10, the Silver and Black were in danger of losing their third straight and falling to .500 on the season.
Once again, Las Vegas started slow, and even with the Bengals also struggling to get it going on offense, it was a Joe Mixon touchdown that gave Cincinnati a halftime lead they would never relinquish. The defense was extremely undisciplined, as penalties cost them big time in this one, and Las Vegas just did not have enough to come back.
Down 16-6 in the fourth quarter, Las Vegas looked to be making a comeback, as the offense suddenly sprung to life and scored on three plays. That play was capped off by a touchdown pass from Derek Carr to Foster Moreau, which ended up being Carr’s only bright spot in this one.
Cincinnati would respond right away with a touchdown of their own, and following a Carr pick, they would find the end zone once more. With the score at 29-13, and the Silver and Black clinging to a miracle, Carr fumbled the game away, as they lost again inside Allegiant Stadium.
Raiders in danger of another lost season
With the way they are playing, the Raiders look completely lost right now, as they can’t even beat struggling teams inside their new home. Once considered a legitimate playoff contender in the AFC, the Raiders are now looking like they could be the worst team in their own division, a stark contrast from the feeling surrounding this team entering the bye week.
This is starting to look like another lost season for the Silver and Black, who struggled mightily on offense and were unable to force many mistakes from the mistake-prone Joe Burrow. With the loss, Las Vegas falls to 5-5, and that 3-0 start, as well as 5-2 record, seem like ages ago.