The Las Vegas Raiders suffered their second defeat of the season, surprisingly losing 36:22 to the Carolina Panthers.
Nothing went well for Coach Antonio Pierce’s team on Sunday afternoon; they were practically slapped in the face from the start and were never able to catch up.
One aspect that has hurt the Raiders all season is the poor performance of their running game, and that has now taken its toll against the Panthers’ weak defense.
As a team, the Raiders only achieved 55 total rushing yards, of which 34 came from Zamir White, 14 from Gardner Minshew and seven from Alexander Mattison.
With a performance like that, the Raiders won’t be able to compete against the league’s top teams. They didn’t even manage to beat the Panthers’ weak defense.
When the Raiders hired Luke Getsy as offensive coordinator, they expected a lot more from their running game. Getsy has produced good running plays in the past, but that hasn’t been the case through three games.
What are some reasons why the running game hasn’t gotten going?
First of all, White hasn’t been able to replicate the magic he found when he took over at the end of the 2023 season. He has carried the ball 32 times for 102 yards in three games, averaging 3.2 yards per carry.
The Raiders hoped White could have a standout season when he replaced Josh Jacobs, who left as a free agent, but he hasn’t been able to do that so far. The season is still young, but the Raiders need more from their top running back.
The Raiders’ offensive line is still trying to get healthy again. Rookie guard Jackson Powers-Johnson, who was expected to have a big impact on the team, is just returning to action after suffering an injury in training camp.
If the Raiders can get Powers-Johnson healthy again, their outlook on the field could change. But right now, things are looking bleak for much of the Raiders’ offensive identity.
Las Vegas’ offense needs to get their running game going if they want to win football games this year. If they don’t White and the ground game is in full swing, things are looking bad.
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