It was a tale of two sides of the ball for the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 10. They battled the 8-2 Denver Broncos thanks to a strong defensive effort, but the offense did not hold up its end of the bargain in a 10-7 loss.
While Raider Nation is, in some ways, just happy to see a second straight close game instead of the blowouts they have been accustomed to this season, the product on the field left so much to be desired once again.
Though there are no moral victories in the NFL, it is still important to highlight what’s going right, even in a lost season like this. Here are the winners and losers from the Raiders’ uneventful loss on Thursday Night Football.
Winners and losers from Raiders' primetime loss to Broncos
Winners
AJ Cole
Cole put on a masterclass performance at Empower Field at Mile High, downing several punts right near the goal line. He would have had another, too, if not for a penalty. Cole is playing like a First-Team All-Pro.
Kyu Blu Kelly
Out of nowhere, Kelly was back in the rotation at cornerback and made Bo Nix pay on several errant throws. Kelly recorded two interceptions in the contest, one on a deep pass and another off a drop, and he made one really nice tackle as well.
Patrick Graham and the defense
It’s not like the Broncos’ offense is some high-powered unit, but given the struggles of the Las Vegas offense, it’s miraculous that the Raiders’ defense gave up just 10 points. They allowed just 220 yards of offense, recorded 2 sacks and had 2 takeaways.
Losers
Chip Kelly
The play-calling was awful once again on Thursday, as it has been all season. Not utilizing Brock Bowers at all is criminal; the offense is predictable, and Kelly constantly abandons the run when Jeanty is playing well. Kelly doesn’t need to show much more to lose his job.
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Dont’e Thornton Jr.
It’s been an up-and-down season for the rookie fourth-rounder, and it can’t be easy from a mental perspective. But Thornton has to be ready when his number is called. Dropping a perfect pass and negating a touchdown due to a penalty is just bad football.
Jack Bech
Bech didn’t get involved at all in the passing game, and he had a hold that negated a massive gain by Ashton Jeanty. His usage is still inconsistent and downright weird, but he, too, needs to be ready when called upon.
Daniel Carlson
Once again, the Raiders lost by 3 points, and Carlson missed a field goal that could have changed the outcome. It was a bit windy in Denver, but not when he missed his kick wide right. The whispers about replacing him are growing louder.
Offensive line
Yes, this unit was down three crucial starters and was going up against the best defensive line in football. But Smith was under constant duress, and the run game completely stopped working when Powers-Johnson was out.
Pete Carroll
Carroll, once again, just seems lost for answers. His tone in postgame press conferences is far too positive for a coach leading a 2-7 team with four blowout losses on its resume. Fans should fear that he’ll lose the locker room, if he hasn’t already.