The offense of the Las Vegas Raiders was expected to take a step forward this season with the acquisition of veteran QB Geno Smith and the addition of running back Ashton Jeanty alongside All-Pro tight end Brock Bowers. The Raiders have struggled mightily ,however, but with a game against a Dallas Cowboys defense that has been one of the worst in the league on Monday night, it seemed like the perfect opportunity to get things on track.
Unfortunately, it was more of the same as the Raiders totaled just 236 yards against the Cowboys in an embarrassing 33-16 loss. Smith threw his 13th interception of the season while the run game was non-existent, with just 27 yards gained on the ground.
Some have already begun wondering whether offensive coordinator Chip Kelly is to blame for their ongoing struggles, but Smith brushed that to the side following the Monday night loss, saying there was nothing wrong with the playcalling, via Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk:
“I don’t think there was any issue with the play calling. The plays were there, guys were open,” Smith said when asked about play calling after the game.
Smith would continue on that point, telling everyone to put the blame squarely on his shoulders while saying that he has to play better:
“You guys watch the film, I know we’ve got a lot of Monday morning quarterbacks who like to watch film and take screenshots and see where guys were open, so I’m sure you guys will see where the guys were open,” Smith said. “I’ve just got to play better. I keep saying this. If something don’t look right out there, blame it on me. If it don’t look right, blame it on me. That’s all you can do, blame it on me. If your kids mess up at school, blame it on me. Car break down on the way to work? Blame it on me.”
It says a lot about Smith’s character as a leader that he is shouldering the blame for the Raiders’ offensive issues, and he certainly has not performed to the level that they need him to. That being said, there is plenty of blame to go around, whether it is the coaching staff, the performances of the offensive line, or skill position players.
Whatever the reasons, the Raiders’ offense has been abysmal for the majority of this seaso,n with them scoring 20 or fewer points in seven of their 10 games. Making a run this season is out of the question, but there are still seven more games for Smith and the Raiders to at least establish an identity and build momentum for next year.
Raiders coach Pete Carroll not concerned with job security
While offensive coordinator Chip Kelly has come under fire, head coach Pete Carroll has not been free from criticism either, and some wonder whether he is the right coach to lead the Raiders into the future. But for his part, Carroll is not thinking about his job security amidst the Raiders’ struggles this season.
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