LAS VEGAS -- The Las Vegas Raiders are 1-4, their season taking on water fast. On Sunday, they meet the Tennessee Titans, another 1-4 club fighting to stay afloat. For both, this is the line between relevance and draft chatter.
Quarterback Geno Smith stands at the center of the storm. He leads the league with nine interceptions, and the offense can’t find a rhythm. This is the reason the frustration has leaked up the chain. Coach Pete Carroll, usually measured, appeared to take a swipe at offensive coordinator Chip Kelly’s play-calling:
"We got to run the football better, more, and we're going to continue to work at it, and see if we can't continue to bring it to life,” Carroll told the Raiders Squad Show. “The running game has been, is, has looked well in order right now. We needed to get more of them, that's part of it. That's just mixing football, that's how you go, you do it. We don't want to ever rely on the quarterback to do the whole show, and sitting in a shotgun and throw the football never. Coach that way."
That puts rookie back Ashton Jeanty in the spotlight. He’s been the lone spark, eighth in the NFL with 349 rushing yards and tied for the team lead with four touchdowns. Tight end Michael Mayer’s return adds muscle. Cleared from concussion protocol, he brings sturdy blocking and dependable hands next to leading receiver Jakobi Meyers. That help is needed with Brock Bowers' day-to-day on a sore knee. NFL insider Tom Pelissero said Bowers’ absence has “rippled through” the entire offense.
“That’s the straw that stirs the drink,” Pelissero said. “He got banged up in the fourth quarter of that game, played several games, but wasn’t himself, then missed last week. When you lose your No. 1 weapon—and it’s not a wide receiver but Brock Bowers… He just plays a little bit different spot on the field. That does have a ripple effect on everyone else, because, quite frankly, they're just not that talented outside of Bowers.”
On defense, Las Vegas knows what’s coming - Tennessee’s brand of trench football. Safety Jeremy Chinn led the team in tackles last week and will be counted on again. Up front, the focus is on Titans defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons, whom Raiders coaches call “the best three-technique in the league.”
Defensive coordinator Patrick Graham said Titans rookie quarterback Cam Ward can make every throw, but the formula is simple: keep the heat on, force errors, and cash in on turnovers.
The front office kept busy, signing linebacker Jamin Davis and special teams ace Jon Rhattigan after cutting veteran Germaine Pratt. Punter AJ Cole remains doubtful with an ankle injury, so rookie Brad Robbins joined the practice squad. Also, if Maxx Crosby and the defensive line can’t generate pressure, the secondary will be hanging by a thread.
Coming Sunday will tell whether this team can answer Carroll’s call for balance. Because if the Raiders don’t, as Al Davis once said, “just win, baby,” the storm around Smith and his coaches will turn into a full-blown desert squall.