LAS VEGAS (AP) — For a team that was shut out for the first time in nearly two years, the Las Vegas Raiders seemed upbeat after practice this week.
Linebacker Devin White shot pool in the middle of the locker room as defensive end Maxx Crosby walked by, laughing with teammates, despite rumors he was being shopped before the trade deadline. On the other side of the room, wide receiver Jakobi Meyers was happy to discuss that his desire to be traded remains intact.
Perhaps it was optimism despite being blanked in Kansas City 31-0 two days earlier. Or relief that they’ll distance themselves for several days from what has been one of the league’s most disappointing starts to the season as they enter their bye week.
Under first-year coach Pete Carroll, the Raiders have been tremendously underwhelming during a 2-5 start.
“I’m surprised that we’re not farther along than we are,” Carroll said. “I thought we would be and I anticipated being farther along and being cleaner with our game.”
Instead, the Raiders have one of the NFL’s most inefficient offenses, ranking tied for 26th with just 4.9 yards per play.
Quarterback Geno Smith is tied with Miami’s Tua Tagovailoa for the most interceptions (10), while his quarterback rating of 77.1 is fourth-lowest in the NFL.
“Obviously, we all got to do our part,” receiver Tre Tucker said. “It’s a team effort, so we all got to come together and protect the quarterback. He’s got to make good reads, we’ve got to catch the ball and then we just got to keep moving the ball, scoring touchdowns.”
Which is easier said than done for Las Vegas, which ranks second-to-last in ending 28% of its offensive drives with a score.
Carroll said a lack of big plays has led to the team’s struggles on offense. In its Week 1 victory at New England, Smith completed four passes for 20-plus yards through the air. He totaled just three over the next six games.
“He’s ready to go and we need to build it up around him,” Carroll said of Smith. “He can’t do all of it by himself. He needs the help. He needs the guys to go to and the guys to come through for him, the protection to be there for him, so that he can play his position. And hopefully we can get going.
“Stacking games and pushing the history of this early part of the season farther away from us, it helps.”
On the other side of the ball, finding a way to stop big plays would help.
Carroll said he’s always looking for chances to get rookie cornerback Darien Porter into games, something that could behoove a secondary that has struggled with Kyu Blu Kelly in the starting lineup.
According to Pro Football Focus, Kelly has allowed 399 yards in coverage, the most of any cornerback in the NFL. The next closest is Tyson Campbell (382), who was recently traded from Jacksonville to Cleveland.
“I know as a rookie, there’s things that you need to improve upon, things I still learn every day,” said Porter, who has allowed just one catch on three targets for 9 yards. “So, that’s my approach. I know if I do what I should be doing day in and day out, the cards will fall where they will, and I’ll be happy with where I’m at, at the end of the day.
“It’s easy to sit on the sideline and nitpick. … It’s just about all of us coming together and being able to fix whatever may be the problem and then attacking it the next week.”
Finally, Carroll is hopeful the Raiders will have key personnel return as Meyers (knee and toe), Crosby (knee and back) and tight end Brock Bowers (knee) have been battling injuries.
“I just hope we get our guys back so that we can utilize those guys to make our offense whole,” Carroll said. “And without Maxx, the defense was different, too. And so that’s just the way I see it. I can’t deny saying that.”
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By W.G. RAMIREZ
Associated Press
