The Las Vegas Raiders find themselves grasping for offensive solutions as a once-promising season threatens to slip away. Mired in a four-game losing streak that has dropped their record to a dismal 2-6, frustrations are mounting both inside and outside the organization over the team’s ineffective attack.
Offensive Woes Plague Raiders
Under first-year offensive coordinator Luke Getsy, the Raiders rank a lowly 28th in the NFL in total offense. The passing game checks in at a mediocre 18th while the ground attack has been stuck in neutral, currently 31st in the league. Scoring has been a constant struggle, with Las Vegas averaging a meager 18 points per game, good for just 26th overall.
Playcalling Under Scrutiny
The spotlight has increasingly focused on Getsy and his playcalling. Head coach Antonio Pierce acknowledged changes need to be made after the team settled for just three points in two trips inside the Chiefs’ five-yard line in their latest defeat. While expressing confidence in Getsy, Pierce hinted the issues run deeper.
“It has to get better,” Pierce conceded. “There’s been a lot of opportunities for us to score points and make opportunities and yeah, that’s on the play call. But then also, like I told our staff and I told our players, it’s easy to…point the finger at Luke or myself. But the O-line play, quarterbacks, the running backs, turnovers and missed blocks, missed execution on plays, alignments, the details, all those things have to get cleaned up.”
Getsy, who had called plays from the sideline, was moved up to the coaches’ box two weeks ago in an effort to gain a different perspective and spark the offense. The results have been lacking thus far as the Raiders have managed just 20 points per game in the two contests since, both losses.
Personnel Problems
Injuries and subpar performances have taken their toll on the Raiders’ attack. Starting quarterback Gardner Minshew was benched in favor of Aidan O’Connell, who promptly broke his thumb. The offensive line has resembled a revolving door with four different starting fives in eight games. Prized tight end Michael Mayer has been away from the team for personal reasons.
In the backfield, free agent addition Alexander Mattison has underwhelmed, averaging a meager 3.2 yards per carry behind a line that has struggled to consistently open holes. It’s a stark decline for a Raiders rushing attack that ranked first and second in the NFL the past two seasons under Getsy’s direction.
“We’ll play it by ear, week to week,” Getsy said of continuing to call plays from the booth. “I’m comfortable both ways. I think it was a lot of good that came from being up there, and I think there’s a lot of good from being on the field. So, I’m good either way.”
Desperately Seeking a Spark
At 2-6, the Raiders’ season is teetering on the brink. Snapping their losing streak and salvaging the campaign will require a significant offensive turnaround, starting Sunday against the Bengals. But Pierce understands it will take more than just better playcalling.
“So yeah, it does start with the coordinator; he’s got to be the one that takes the fall for that and gets most of the blame. But it is collective.”
For a Raiders team with playoff aspirations entering the season, the clock is ticking to find answers for their floundering offense. The coming weeks will determine if Getsy and company can engineer a much-needed course correction or if their struggles will send Las Vegas’ season permanently off the rails.
