The Las Vegas Raiders did some good things yesterday against the Chicago Bears. Running back Ashton Jeanty finally had his breakout big game, rushing for 161 yards on just 21 carries, including a 64-yard touchdown run to go with a pair of touchdown receptions. The defense harassed Bears quarterback Caleb Williams all day, and they shut down the Chicago running game.
But even good teams struggle to overcome multiple turnovers, and the Raiders aren’t a good team right now. They’re a team that finds ways to lose, and yesterday it was four turnovers that did the trick. Quarterback Geno Smith was the main culprit with three interceptions and just 117 yards passing, and he put the blame squarely where it needed to be in his post-game comments.
“The guys deserved to get this win, and I let those guys down,” Smith said to the Associated Press via ESPN after the game. “There’s a lot of things I’m going to have to fix within myself, and that’s the reality. I’m not going to sugarcoat it, I got to be a lot better and I am a lot better, but it hasn’t showed up.”
Most of the immediate post-game focus was on the late blocked field goal by cornerback Josh Blackwell of the Bears, but the Raiders shouldn’t have needed a long kick by Daniel Carlson to win this one.
They led for most of the first half, and the running game was dominant, with running back Raheem Mostert adding 62 yards to Jeanty’s performance as the Raiders averaged 7.7 yards a carry and rushed for 230 yards.
Those are game-controlling stats, especially at home, but giving the ball away turned this one into a back-and-forth affair. Las Vegas had a 21-19 lead with just under seven minutes left, but a bungled offensive series deep in the red zone led to a short field goal that kept the margin to a single score.
That was all the impetus Williams needed. He’s starting to get the hang of new coach Ben Johnson’s system, and the game-winning drive felt inevitable as soon as it started. The Raiders counter stalled shortly after they crossed mid-field, forcing the long field goal try to get the win.
The Raiders have now lost three straight, but there were positives here and there. Defensive end Maxx Crosby was once again a terror on defense, and Jeanty’s performance represented a huge and necessary building block. The Raiders have put themselves in a hole, though, and another loss on the road to the Indianapolis Colts this week will have them once again searching for answers to a lost season in October.