The Las Vegas Raiders left a lot to be desired in Week 2 of the 2025 NFL season. At home against their AFC West rival Los Angeles Chargers, they folded under the pressure of a primetime Monday Night Football game, losing 20-9.
One of the glaring issues for the Raiders, once again, was the play of the offensive line. While they have largely blocked well in pass protection, the unit still gives up too many sacks and cannot get enough push to catapult Ashton Jeanty in the run game.
Las Vegas spent the offseason reshuffling the offensive line, so a steep learning curve was expected. But fans were surely hoping that things were figured out by now. Raiders veteran guard Alex Cappa entered the lineup on Monday for an injured Jackson Powers-Johnson with a chance to prove that he can be the glue for the group.
Alex Cappa did not answer the call for Raiders vs. Chargers
Unfortunately, Cappa crumbled when given the opportunity to assert himself. Powers-Johnson had a rough outing in Week 1, so with a strong performance, Cappa may have been able to supplant the young player.
But he was far from a dominant force, so Powers-Johnson will likely get his starting job back when he returns from injury, although it is unknown exactly when that will be, as he deals with a concussion. So, Cappa will need to hold up a lot better if the Raiders need to rely on him again.
On Monday, Cappa recorded a Pro Football Focus grade of 56.2, which is solidly below average. His 73.8 mark in pass protection is above average, but the grade makes no sense, considering he gave up a sack and three quarterback hurries.
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Cappa fared better than Powers-Johnson in this realm, as his counterpart recorded a 44.1 overall grade and a 58.3 mark in pass protection in Week 1, despite also giving up one sack, but two fewer pressures. Powers-Johnson was also penalized twice in comparison to Cappa's zero.
When it came to run-blocking, however, Powers-Johnson's 54.8 grade was far superior to Cappa's 44.0. Plus, context is important, as Powers-Johnson's poor game was a mere one-off after a strong rookie season, and Cappa has been steadily declining for several seasons now.
The Raiders paid Cappa solidly this offseason, and his connections to Tom Brady, Devin White and John Spytek are well-documented. But this veteran player should have been able to step in and be solid for Las Vegas in a bind, and he was not.
Ideally, Powers-Johnson heals quickly from his concussion and reverts to his form from late in the 2024 season. If he struggles to come back, or cannot find his footing when he returns, the Raiders may be left with a gaping hole in their offensive line.