Las Vegas Raiders: Things that need to change after the 0-3 start
By Brad Weiss
The Las Vegas Raiders have stumbled out of the gate in 2022, getting off to an 0-3 start, and there are things that need to change.
The Las Vegas Raiders went into their matchup with the Tennessee Titans as favorites for the second straight week, and for the second straight week, they lost. It has been a terrible start to the season for the Silver and Black, as they looked good in the second half against Los Angeles, and even better in the first half against Arizona, but still have an 0-3 record to show for it.
Against Tennessee, the defense was gashed in the first half, as the Titans built a lead Las Vegas was never able to recover from. We have seen a ton of bad football the first few weeks of the season, and here, we look at things that need to change if the Raiders are to get their season back on track.
Las Vegas Raiders: Things that need to change after the 0-3 start
Playmakers must make plays
The Raiders have enough playmakers on both sides of the ball to be much better than their 0-3 record would indicate, but they have not stepped up like they should have so far this season. Chandler Jones has been MIA on defense, leaving Maxx Crosby to handle all the heavy lifting in the pass rush, and there are times it seems Derek Carr shies away from Davante Adams.
We also saw stars like Hunter Renfrow and Darren Waller have shaky starts to the season, as Renfrow’s fumble cost the Raiders the game against Arizona in overtime, and Waller looked absolutely terrible against Tennessee. For this team to win, the playmakers have to step up, and that has not been the case this season, outside of maybe Mack Hollins, someone who was supposed to be a complementary piece.
Stop shuffling the offensive line
The Raiders knew going into this season there could be some issues along the offensive line, and despite that, did nothing really to address it. Now, they are starting multiple rookies up front, including a seventh-round pick in Thayer Munford, though they have shown some promise in the early going.
Munford allowed only one pressure in his starting debut against Tennessee, and Parham has had some nice games as well. One thing that has been an issue is all the shuffling along the offensive line, and going forward, the Silver and Black need to get a unit together, let them practice, and stop with all of the changes during the game.
Get some turnovers
The Raiders are absolutely atrocious at getting some turnovers, and it seems like the only time they do get one on defense, there is a penalty on the play. Playing in a tough AFC West, and against some playoff-caliber teams in the future, they have to win the turnover game, something that has not happened this season.
There are a lot of other things that have to change, including the playcalling by Josh McDaniels and Patrick Graham, and the questionable play of Derek Carr at times. However, the Raiders have lost three games by less than 15 points combined, so the talent is there to make a run, and the schedule gets a bit soft after a tough three-game stretch to start the season.