The Las Vegas Raiders have now dropped eight of 10 games this season with seemingly no fix in sight.
The Raiders were embarrassed on their home field 33-16 against the Dallas Cowboys on Monday Night Football to close out Week 11, and a lot of their previous woes continued through this game.
Las Vegas and Dallas exchanged field goals midway through the first quarter, but the Raiders took a 6-3 lead into the second quarter. It got ugly from there.
The Cowboys scored touchdowns on all three of their possessions to close the half, taking a 24-9 lead. Dallas scored another touchdown after the Raiders had a three-and-out to open the second half. Las Vegas didn’t score their lone touchdown until the fourth quarter on a drive that took 14 plays and nearly eight minutes of the clock.
It was another abysmal performance for the offense. Quarterback Geno Smith completed 27 of 42 passes for 238 yards, one touchdown and an interception. He was sacked four times for a loss of 29 yards and he led the team in rushing with 14 yards on four carries.
Star rookie running back Ashton Jeanty logged just six carries and he only managed to rush for seven yards. Game script held Jeanty useless, but offensive coordinator Chip Kelly must keep one of their best players involved. He did catch six passes on eight targets for 27 yards, however.
Star tight end Brock Bowers had a nice day, catching seven of 12 passes for 72 yards, but the Dallas defense did a great job of limiting Bowers.
Given Smith’s struggles this season at age 35, the Raiders will almost certainly draft a quarterback in next year’s draft. ESPN’s latest mock draft by Matt Miller has Las Vegas selecting Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson with the fifth overall pick.
“Geno Smith has not worked out in Las Vegas, and a quarterback reboot is coming. Perhaps the Raiders could be a destination for a veteran like Kyler Murray or Mac Jones should either be available, but Las Vegas is also a prime candidate to draft a quarterback should one be on the board,” Miller wrote Wednesday. “Simpson has started only 10 games in college, but he's playing with impeccable poise and timing after developing for three seasons. The 6-foot-2, 208-pounder has thrown 22 touchdowns to just two picks this season. Simpson's inexperience will need to be vetted by scouts, but his instincts and processing are starter level.”
Simpson has a 66.9 completion percentage with 2,787 yards to go along with his 22 touchdowns and two interceptions. He has a 156.4 passer rating and some mobility, but he isn’t considered a dual-threat QB. Expect the Raiders to be scouting the top quarterbacks leading up to the draft.