The Raiders’ youth movement is exactly what John Spytek signed up for, and Week 7 was another reminder that young talent comes with a price. Las Vegas lost to the Los Angeles Rams, and that result only reinforced what the previous three defeats had already shown: the Raiders are asking a lot from rookies and second-year players, and that kind of dependence can cost you games. Under Spytek and Klint Kubiak, this is the reality of the rebuild.
At the center of it all is Fernando Mendoza, whose stock is soaring even though he didn’t take a snap against the Rams. Las Vegas spent months digging into every part of his game before making him the No. 1 overall pick in this year’s draft, and Sunday’s loss made one thing feel even clearer: his time is coming.
Mendoza’s game can help cover up some of the problems up front and at receiver. Kubiak said the rookie quarterback will get on the field this season, but not on the Week 8 trip.
“Eventually Fernando [Mendoza] is going to play football. We have a plan.
We don’t have a timeline for that. Kirk [Cousins] is playing really well, and we’re in the hunt.
It’s really important that we keep playing really well behind him and continue to develop Fernando, but Fernando is going to play at some point. It’s not going to be this week," Kubiak said.
The Raiders have a road game against the New York Jets and then a tougher matchup with the San Francisco 49ers. Putting Mendoza in for either of those games would be a major call. But even if Las Vegas splits those two, the rookie should be in line to start after that.
The run game continues to be a mess, though that problem didn’t start with Ashton Jeanty or Mike Washington. Las Vegas has finished with the fewest rushing yards in the league in two of the past three seasons, and in the other one, it was third-worst.
This year, through seven games, the Raiders are sitting with the second-fewest rushing yards in the league. The team has rotated through multiple running backs while mostly keeping the same offensive line in place.
Jeanty, despite the ankle injury and the lack of the burst that made him the No. 6 overall pick, has still found ways to contribute as a receiver. That versatility has stood out because the Raiders’ ground game has been so badly limited by the offensive line.
The defensive backfield, meanwhile, had a rough afternoon against Matthew Stafford and the Rams. Built largely around rookies and second-year players, the unit ran into an experienced quarterback and a veteran receiving corps that proved too polished.
Stafford went 23-for-29, and the longest gain he had all day was just 15 yards. The Raiders kept the Rams from hitting the explosive plays, but they still couldn’t slow the passing game enough to give their own offense a real opening.
Even so, that unit is performing about where the Raiders expected it to be when the season began.
Up front, the guard play remains a problem. The Raiders started Rogers ahead of Jackson Powers-Johnson again on Sunday, and Rogers continued to struggle. He missed key blocks, helped set up negative plays, and had more than one sequence where he looked overwhelmed.
Las Vegas may need to seriously look for help at offensive guard, because the current setup is not giving the offense starting-caliber play at either spot. The depth behind those two positions is shaky as well.
Rogers still needs development, and that’s part of the process for a second-year player. But his struggles also point to a bigger issue that’s hanging over the offense. Offensive guard could easily become the Raiders’ top offseason priority, because the position group is holding the unit back.
In Other News...
Raiders Fourth Straight Loss Exposed Problems Fans Cant Ignore
The recent skid has put the Raiders problems in plain view, and the defensive tape has been especially hard to ignore. Tackling has been sloppy, coverage has broken down too often, and even with some young talent on that side of the ball, the unit has had a hard time finding any sort of stability under defensive coordinator Rob Leonard.
Offensively, the issues have been just as familiar. The offensive line has drawn criticism for poor run blocking and uneven play, leaving the Raiders searching for consistency in a phase that should be helping steady the offense. There are individual performances worth sorting through, but the bigger picture is becoming tougher for fans to dismiss as the losses keep piling up. [Read more 🡒]
Raiders O-Line Problem May Force A Decision They Can't Delay
The Raiders offensive line has become one of the teams biggest pressure points, and the concern is centered inside. Spencer Burford and Caleb Rogers have both struggled by Pro Football Focus grades, while D.J. Glaze has been the steadiest presence up front this season. When an offensive line starts wobbling on the interior, it usually forces the coaching staff to consider changes quickly, whether that means shuffling roles or looking for a different combination.
Caleb Rogers is now squarely in the conversation as a possible benching candidate, and the Raiders may not have the luxury of waiting long to see if things sort themselves out. The front office is also being linked to a potential move for help, which would add another layer to a situation already demanding attention before the deadline. For a team trying to stabilize its offense, the next decision along the line could end up mattering as much as any move it makes this fall. [Read more 🡒]
Maxx Crosbys Recent Dip Is Becoming A Real Raiders Problem
Maxx Crosby has been central to the Raiders defensive identity for years, so when his pressure starts to dry up, it is impossible not to notice. Over the last three weeks, his impact has looked quieter than it did earlier in the season, when he was still getting home and disrupting quarterbacks at a steadier clip. For a team that leans on him to set the tone up front, that kind of drop-off is more than a blip.
The bigger concern is how much he has been on the field while the production has tailed off. The Raiders had tried to manage his workload earlier in the year, a move that seemed aimed at keeping him fresh for the stretch run, but that approach has changed lately. If the recent trend continues, Las Vegas may have to revisit whether more snaps are really helping its best pass rusher, or wearing him down when the defense can least afford it. [Read more 🡒]