The Las Vegas Raiders were embarrassed by the defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles and got shut out 31-0 in quarterback Kenny Pickett’s first start as a Raider.
Leading up to the game, I described the situation for Pickett as a “revenge game” against his former team. However, Pickett couldn’t even surpass 65 passing yards, and the offense went nowhere for the entirety of the game. It was certainly a game to forget if you’re Pickett or the Raiders.
The former first-round pick completed 15 of 25 passes for 64 yards and an interception while being sacked four times for a total loss of 35 yards. He rushed twice for seven yards.
Rookie running back Ashton Jeanty logged just nine carries in another losing effort. It’s hard to generate offense as a rusher when the game script calls for heavy-passing, but Jeanty only had 35 yards on his nine attempts and wasn’t a deciding factor in this one.
It was a rough day for everyone involved on the Las Vegas sideline as the team fell to 2-12 on the season. Head coach Pete Carroll envisioned turning this team into a contender in his first season, yet the team is nowhere close to competing. Carroll is a one-and-done candidate and likely won’t be coaching the team next year.
“The last time the Raiders were shut out in multiple games in a season was 2006 (three times),” ESPN’s Ryan McFadden wrote Sunday. “Las Vegas has lost by double digits for the eighth time, and its eight-game losing streak is the longest of Carroll's NFL coaching career. Clearly, the Raiders are far from being competitive and need to embrace a true rebuild, which is why Carroll, 74, might not be the right coach to lead the team moving forward.”
Carroll responded to the concern surrounding the quarterback room and stated that Geno Smith is likely to remain the starter if he’s healthy down the stretch.
“Carroll said this week that health will be the main factor when determining whether Geno Smith remains the starting quarterback for the rest of the season,” McFadden wrote. “And that should still be the case. Pickett started in place of Smith, who was out with a shoulder/back injury, and didn't add much of a spark despite being more mobile in the pocket. Pickett completed 15 of 25 passes for 64 yards and an interception.”
Smith hasn’t been great this season, but the Pickett experiment didn’t go well, albeit against the defending champs. If Smith is healthy enough to suit up, expect him to start on the road against the Houston Texans in Week 16.