The Las Vegas Raiders were a no-show on both sides of the football in a 24-0 shutout loss to the New Orleans Saints on Sunday.
The Las Vegas Raiders’ defense was, simply put, porous as they allowed the New Orleans Saints to pile on 24 points and 367 yards of total offense on them Sunday afternoon. Andy Dalton threw for 229 yards and two touchdowns without an interception, while Alvin Kamara compiled 158 total yards and three combined touchdowns. And yet the Raiders managed to play even worse on the offensive side of the ball.
The result: zero points scored on 183 total yards of offense with an average of 3.3 yards per play.
While Las Vegas’ defense had no answer for the Saints, the Raiders’ offense simply did not show up to play in any facet of the game. Derek Carr was 15-of-26 and barely surpassed the century mark with 101 passing yards, while being sacked three times for a combined loss of 50 yards. Josh Jacobs was finally bottled up with 10 carries for only 43 rushing yards. Hunter Renfrow, who many expected to shoulder much more of a load in the absence of Darren Waller, had just one catch on two targets for six yards.
But arguably the most notable stat line that radiates off the box score was that of Davante Adams, or arguably, his lack of a stat line.
Raiders play uninspired football in a 24-0 shutout loss to the Saints
Adams, Las Vegas’ coveted offseason acquisition and arguably the best receiver in the NFL, was limited to just one reception on five targets for three yards. It’s a mindblowing stat that puts a stamp on how the Raiders, from the coaching staff to the players, arrived in New Orleans unprepared and uninspired to compete. From Carr being consistently tossed to the ground, to a botched fake punt attempt, to a combined nine receiving yards from your top two receivers, Sunday’s performance was a mess.
Being blown out by former Raiders’ coach Dennis Allen only adds insult to injury.
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The Raiders have put up a number of lackluster performances over the years, but Sunday’s shutout loss feels like a nail in the coffin of a lost season. Las Vegas is supposed to have its sights set on next week’s opponent the Jaguars, but with uncertainty looming around the rest of the season, perhaps Tuesday’s trade deadline marks the next chapter regarding the future of the current roster.