Las Vegas Raiders at Jacksonville Jaguars 2022 Week 9: Studs and Duds

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Jacksonville Jaguars defensive end Dawuane Smoot (91) sacks Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Derek Carr (4) during the first quarter of a regular season NFL football matchup Sunday, Nov. 6, 2022, at TIAA Bank Field in Jacksonville. The Jacksonville Jaguars held off the Las Vegas Raiders 27-20. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union] /

Las Vegas Raiders at Jacksonville Jaguars 2022 Week 9: Studs and Duds

Dud – Raiders’ second-half offense

As good as the offense was in the first half it was several multitudes worse in the second half as they went completely away from what was working for them early on. We understand that NFL teams have to adjust at halftime and the Jaguars certainly had something to do with it, but Jacksonville showed they couldn’t cover Davante Adams and the Raiders let them off the hook.

After the Jaguars scored with their opening drive of the third quarter, the Raiders offense went into full-on turtle mode and started the half with three straight runs. They were effective as Josh Jacobs had two runs for 22 yards combined but the drive sputtered after a short throw to Adams and a bad pass to Mack Hollins that should have been picked off.

Jacksonville took another long stroll down the field against a willing Raiders defense and scored to take a 24-20 lead they would not relinquish. After that, the Raiders got to the Jacksonville 45 and looked to threaten but ran the ball on first and 10 for -2 yards, second and 12 for no gain, and then threw incomplete on third and 10.

A couple of Jacksonville failed drives including a missed 41-yard field goal and the Raiders had a chance with 3 minutes to go to score the go-ahead touchdown to win the game. Instead, they managed to move 8 yards before turning the ball over on downs and effectively ended the game as a contest.

The play-calling and decisions from both Josh McDaniels and Carr were baffling as they chose to throw the ball 3 times after getting to second and 2 rather than running the ball with Jacobs.

The failed fourth down conversion was the culmination of a horrendous second half of offensive football that doomed the Raiders to yet another loss. Everyone on that offense is to blame but Derek Carr’s missing throws, Davante Adams dropping a couple passes, and Josh McDaniels throwing when he should’ve run and running when he should’ve thrown the ball really stand out as the reasons for the offensive collapse.

The comeback magic that Derek Carr once had has all but disappeared as he failed once again to lead his team to victory in a clutch situation the way he has so many times before. A QB doesn’t just forget how to play football or lose his abilities at just 31 years old and these failures ultimately come down to coaching.