The Las Vegas Raiders fell flat on their faces in Week 2 of the 2025 NFL season. They had an opportunity to make a statement against the Los Angeles Chargers on Monday Night Football, but got beaten soundly by a final score of 20-9.
While the defense actually held up quite well against a very good Chargers team led by Justin Herbert, the Raiders' offense left plenty to be desired. Geno Smith struggled, in particular, completing just 55.8% of his passes and throwing three interceptions.
Once again, the run game did not get going due to a variety of factors, but it was not all bad for the Las Vegas offense. Despite the group falling apart against Jesse Minter's defense, one unit quietly dominated in a key aspect of the game.
Raiders' offensive line was solid in pass protection once again in Week 2
On Monday, the Raiders' offensive line was incredibly solid in pass protection for the second straight week. The group gave Smith an average of 3.11 seconds to throw the ball, according to NextGen Stats, which was the sixth-best mark in the league.
Both Kolton Miller and Jordan Meredith pitched a shutout, allowing zero pressures against the Chargers, according to Pro Football Focus. DJ Glaze also did a nice job, relinquishing just two pressures for a pass-blocking efficiency of 97.9.
Veteran guard Alex Cappa, despite giving up a sack and three hurries, also graded fairly well. He earned an overall grade of 70.7 as a pass-blocker, which is an above-average mark, as well as a pass-blocking efficiency grade of 94.8.
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Dylan Parham was a disaster on Monday, giving up six pressures, which included four hurries, a quarterback hit and a sack. His PFF grade of 36.1 was the lowest among the starting five along the offensive line.
But overall, the Raiders' offensive line gave Smith ample time to throw and make plays, but he just held onto the ball for far too long at times. All three of the sacks relinquished were at pivotal moments in the game, but it was not entirely the fault of this unit.
In a game where the offense completely unraveled, the offensive line's pass blocking was largely dominant. Of course, they are only as good as their weakest link, but the Raiders' pass protection was not the issue in Week 2.