Raiders show life, but lose 9th game in a row
Last week, Las Vegas Raiders coach Pete Carroll said he wanted to see improvement in the final thee games.
Sunday’s effort at the Houston Texans qualifies as improvement, whether it’s fleeting or not.
The Raiders were game and they weren’t blown out (they lost by double digits in four of the past five games and were shutout 31-0 last week in Philadelphia) as they lost 23-21 at the Houston Texans.
The game wasn’t as close as the score indicated, but the Raiders competed for the first time in a while and they showed some life. Still, they fell to 2-13 and have lost nine straight games.
For those, who are looking for positives, though, there were some. Ashton Jeanty had a great game, the offense moved the ball well and had 315 yards (a week after totaling 75 yards, the second lowest in team history) against the No. 1 ranked defense in the league. The Raiders’ 21 points was their most since November 2 and they lead in a game for the first time in five games.
Now, the Raiders have two winnable games to finish the season as they host the fellow 2-13 New York Giants (in a game that will likely determine the No. 1 overall draft pick in April) and against the battered Kansas City Chiefs, who are down to their third-string quarterback.
If the Raiders win these two games, Carroll can point to late-season improvement in his case to try to return. The general media assumption is that Carroll will likely get fired. NFL Media reported Sunday that his Las Vegas future “is in doubt.” After the game, Carroll said he would love to return in 2026.
Late year, Antonio Pierce had two late-season meaningless wins and it didn’t help him. Let’s see how it helps Carroll.
I vote no, but I don’t have a vote.
Here are some key aspects of the game:
There’s Jeanty:
Raiders’ rookie Ashton Jeanty had been struggling for the past eight weeks, but he had a huge impact Sunday. He had a 60-yard touchdown reception and added a 51-yard touchdown run. He finished with 28 yards on 24 carries and averaged 5.3 yards a game. He looked like the player the Raiders envisioned when they drafted him No. 6 overall against a terrific defense. He needs to keep it up in the final two games.
Key late penalties:
The Raiders were penalized nine times for 85 yards. They had four critical penalties on defense on the Texans’ last two drives, a touchdown drive and a game-sealing drive. Defensive backs Lonnie Johnson and Darien Porter had big pass-interference calls that doomed the game.
Offensive line better:
The Raiders allowed three sacks after allowing four, or more, in the past six games, against a stout Houston pass-rush. The interior offensive line played pretty well. Rookie guard Caleb Rogers suffered a quad injury late. The tema needs to hope he can finish the season.
Road woes:
The Raiders finished their road season with a 1-7 record. It started promising, of, as they won at New England in Week 1.
Better on third down on offense, not defense:
The Raiders had struggled on third down on both sides of the ball in the past three games. They got better on offense, but the issues have persisted on defense. The Raiders were six of 14 on third down after going 8 of 29 the past three games. Defensively, the Raiders allowed Houston to convert seven of 15 times on third down. The Raiders’ past four opponents have converted on 36 of the past 57 attempts.
Bad start by Geno:
After a 23 second first drive (with three incompletions by Geno Smith), the Raiders took the field for their second drive and Geno threw a pick six to Houston cornerback Derek Stingley. It was an awful throw by Smith, who missed last week with an injury. 7-0 Houston. It was Smith’s 15th interception of the season (tied for the most in the NFL). It was the Raider’s first Pick Six since Gardner Minshew threw one against Denver in Week 5 last season.
White sets record:
Raiders’ linebacker Devin White notched his 159th tackle. It broke Robert Spillane’s team record for tackles he set last year. White has struggled overall, but he has been compiling tackles.
Cappa starts again:
Jordan Meredith was active, but Alex Cappa remained the starting center and it appears he will finish the season there. Expect the Raiders to look for a new center in 2026 if the injured Jackson Powers-Johnson stays at guard.
Category: General Sports
