The box score will point straight at the quarterback conversation after the Las Vegas Raiders’ lopsided loss to the Los Angeles Rams, and that’s fair enough. It was the Raiders’ fourth straight defeat, and with the No. 1 pick sitting out there, the spotlight is only getting hotter.
But the snaps told their own story on Sunday, and not all of it had to do with who was throwing the ball. A few personnel trends jumped off the page in Week 7, from a fading role for Connor Heyward to a crowded defensive tackle rotation to a more rigid offense than Las Vegas was using earlier in the season.
Heyward’s usage has been sliding for weeks, and Sunday brought a new low. He was on the field for just eight offensive snaps against the Rams, after opening the season with 32 in Week 1. From there, his workload settled at 19 snaps in each of Weeks 2-4, then dipped again to 13 in both Weeks 5 and 6.
That’s a sharp drop for a player who had been a noticeable part of the early-season plan. Heyward is usually in there as a lead blocker in the run game, and there’s a case that Las Vegas has been better on the ground with him involved.
The flip side is obvious, too: with the Raiders trailing so much over the last four weeks, the offense has leaned away from using a fullback and toward keeping another eligible receiver on the field. Still, the run game feels like it could use him more.
The defensive tackle rotation also turned into a bit of a puzzle. Tonka Hemingway’s return was supposed to give the unit a boost in Week 7, but he ended up with only 21 snaps. That put him well behind Adam Butler, who played 51, and Foley Fatukasi, who logged 34.
Hemingway wasn’t exactly isolated, though. He was in the same range as Tim Keenan III, who had 19 snaps, and JJ Pegues, who had 16.
Even so, Hemingway looks like a player who should be getting more than a quarter of the work. With Thomas Booker IV and Jonah Laulu both listed as healthy scratches, Keenan III and Pegues got more chances and had their moments, but the overall usage still left room for more.
The biggest takeaway on offense may be that Las Vegas simply isn’t mixing its personnel nearly as much anymore. Early in the year, Kubiak’s offense stood out because of how varied it was; the rotation kept defenses guessing and helped the Raiders stay fresh. That wasn’t the case against Los Angeles.
The Raiders ran 68 offensive plays in Week 7, and Brock Bowers was on the field for 57 of them. Michael Mayer and Tre Tucker were right behind him at 56 each. Jalen Nailor logged 51 snaps as well, which meant those four were on the field for roughly 80% of the offensive snaps.
Behind that core group, the drop-off was steep. Cody White got just 17 snaps, fewer than Ian Thomas’ 18.
Heyward was all the way down at eight, while Dareke Young and Malik Benson saw only four and three snaps, respectively. No one is asking for perfectly equal playing time, but the Raiders could stand to vary the groupings more.
A little more rotation could help create matchup problems, keep players fresher and maybe shake a defense loose.
In Other News...
Raiders Just Put Dont'e Thornton Jr. Under A Real Spotlight
The Raiders have finally brought Dont'e Thornton Jr. back onto the active roster, a move that comes after head coach Klint Kubiak had been non-committal about whether the rookie receiver would be ready in time. His return gives Las Vegas another pass-catching option at a time when the offense could use all the help it can get, especially with Jack Bech also expected back at practice soon after a broken forearm.
Thornton's activation also forced a roster decision, and the Raiders chose to make it on the defensive side of the ball. For a team still sorting out how its receiving mix will look moving forward, the timing adds a little more pressure to Thornton to show he can contribute quickly and make the most of the opening he was given. [Read more 🡒]
Raiders Roster Shakeup Could Be Just The Start
The Raiders made a roster tweak this week by activating Donte Thornton Jr. and moving on from Jonah Laulu, who could circle back to the practice squad. Its the kind of housekeeping that comes with a long season, but it also fits a team still sorting through its depth and trying to find a workable mix after another rough stretch.
What makes the move more interesting is that it may not be the last one. Jack Bech is expected back from injury soon, and his return could force another shuffle at wide receiver as Las Vegas keeps reworking the bottom of the roster. Beyond that, the Raiders are still dealing with the broader noise around the team, from former wideout Zay Jones landing with Arizona to fresh chatter about Maxx Crosby as the losses keep piling up. [Read more 🡒]
Raiders May Have Let A Rare O-Line Chance Slip Away
Four straight losses have turned the Raiders from a team trying to hang around the playoff picture into one that has to think about the trade deadline very differently. At 3-4, the conversation in Las Vegas is no longer just about adding help for a push, but about whether the roster needs bigger-picture fixes, especially along an offensive line that has been under the microscope for much of the season.
So when a rare name like Quenton Nelson suddenly came off the board, it was the sort of move that naturally makes the Raiders wonder what might have been. Nelson would have fit the kind of upgrade this offense could use, but his availability came with the usual complications tied to his contract and the timing of where Las Vegas appears to be headed as a team. In a year that already looks like it could tilt toward rebuilding, chances to land a premium lineman do not come along often. [Read more 🡒]