Las Vegas Raiders at Chargers 2022 Week 1: Studs and Duds

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Sep 11, 2022; Inglewood, California, USA; Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Derek Carr (4) is sacked by Los Angeles Chargers linebacker Khalil Mack (52) in the second half at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports /

Las Vegas Raiders at Chargers 2022 Week 1: Studs and Duds

Duds – The offensive line

The unit that we have been concerned about since the start of the 2021 season continues to be a major weakness for the Raiders and that was on full display on Sunday. Derek Carr was sacked 5 times and was hit 9 times by the LA pass rush but it certainly felt like more than that. Carr was under pressure for what felt like the entire game and it severely hampered the effectiveness of the offense.

To really highlight the struggles, the Raiders tried out three different offensive line combinations which is a worrying trend that continued from the preseason. The left side of the line was constant but the right side, again a trend from preseason, was shuffled like a deck of cards and the Raiders weren’t hitting blackjack with any of them.

Aside from Carr getting knocked around, the run game was stifled for most of the game though Josh Jacobs did have a couple of big plays when the Chargers were playing for the pass. To be fair to the unit, not every team has Khalil Mack, Joey Bosa, Sebastian Joseph-Day, and other studs on the defensive line but it is still a major concern moving forward.

All summer we have talked about this being the primary weakness for the Raiders and it was proven ten-fold on Sunday against a very good defensive unit. This team will only go as far as this offensive line will take them and right now it looks like it won’t go very far at all.

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