The Las Vegas Raiders suffered a crushing 25-24 Week 4 loss to the Chicago Bears on Sunday in Las Vegas.
The Raiders came up short after Bears’ defensive back Josh Blackwell blocked kicker Daniel Carlson’s 54-yard attempt with 38 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter.
The star of the game was rookie running back Ashton Jeanty, who finally broke out with three total touchdowns and 155 all-purpose yards in the loss. He rushed for 138 yards and a touchdown on 21 carries as well as catching two passes for 17 yards and two touchdowns. Jeanty did fumble in the first quarter.
This performance had to feel great for the young high-potential rookie, as he had been limited to just 3.1 yards per carry prior to this week. Head coach Pete Carroll emphasized over the last couple of weeks that he wanted to get Jeanty incorporated more as he continues learning, and this legacy game could be the start of something special in Las Vegas.
Unfortunately for the Raiders, quarterback Geno Smith was far from sharp in this one. The 34-year-old veteran completed 67 percent of his passes but only for 117 yards. His two touchdowns were thrown to Jeanty and he threw three interceptions, the first of which was on their first possession.
ESPN’s Ryan McFadden has questioned whether it’s time to worrying about Smith and his turnovers.
“The Smith experience hasn't gone as expected,” McFadden wrote Monday. “He threw three interceptions, with two resulting in points for Chicago. His first pick helped set up a field goal in the first quarter. Later, Smith was picked off by cornerback Tyrique Stevenson, leading to Bears quarterback Caleb Williams completing a touchdown pass to wide receiver Rome Odunze. Smith was given a chance to ice the game, but his throw to wide receiver Dont'e Thornton Jr. was slightly underthrown, resulting in an incompletion and a field goal. Smith's turnover issues should be a cause for concern moving forward.”
Smith has been prone to turning the ball over in his career, and while he does a great job creating plays seemingly out of nothing, it’s concerning for Las Vegas.
Smith now has a touchdown-to-interception ratio of 6:7, though he is eighth in the National Football League with 948 passing yards.
The Raiders travel to Indianapolis for a Week 5 matchup with the Colts. The Colts are 3-1 and coming off their first loss of the season to the Los Angeles Rams.