The Raiders are now the only NFL team with three losses and no wins. And they have earned every tick in the 0-3 loss column.
Today's team game stats look as if the Raiders did everything right. They led in most categories. But two ugly stats stick out like a sore thumb: 1-12 on third down efficiency and anemic Red Zone execution. Not converting on third down equates to a tired defense, as seen in last week's overtime loss to the Cardinals.
But then you get to that all-telling Red Zone stat, reflecting scoring success versus failure inside the twenty-yard line. For the Raiders it was the ugly stepsister to third down inefficiency. Just two touchdowns in six red zone visits, Six! Meanwhile, they limited the Titans to three red zone visits but guess what? the winless Titans scored touchdowns on all three attempts inside the twenty. And in today's high-scoring offensive football competitions, touchdowns, or lack thereof, are where games are won or lost.
So here the Raiders sit at the bottom of the league after only three weeks of play. I wanna say there's still fourteen games left on the schedule to prove they are contenders. But I know I'd just be kidding myself. These are not your 2021-22 scrappy Raiders, who found ways to win against the toughest of competitors during the most scandalous of team seasons. No, these Raiders are just the opposite, finding ways to lose with winning opportunities banging on the door.
When a shiny looking automobile is seen sputtering and puttering along as it climbs up not so challenging hills, casual observers are left wondering how such a good-looking vehicle can struggle against such mediocre challenges. Thoughts of fuel problems, clogged exhaust, bad timing chain, bad engine seals or gaskets come to mind. Or perhaps the shiny vehicle is simply a lemon, straight off a shady used car lot.
Well, if that automobile happens to have a 2022-23 Raiders Pirate Logo emblazoned on its hood, you can bet it suffers from one or more of the above-mentioned problems. And there seems to be no mechanic available on the sidelines qualified to troubleshoot and/or fix the problem.
Sorry Raiders fans but we got sold a lemon this season. What looked so sparkly and bright during a 4-0 preseason is simply not up to the challenge of a regular season NFL schedule.
Ownership chose to bring in a new pit crew (coaching staff) who stripped down last season's model, replacing integral parts (OL) of a playoff caliber team. The crew, with coaching experience in New England, brought in an unusually high number of former Patriots players. Turns out the overhaul was a step back instead of a leap forward in the team's development as a championship contender. Things just seem so off and out of synch for this Raiders team, a team so full of preseason promise.
I guess that's why it's called PRE-Season, as in Pre-Mature! And as they say, promises are made to be broken...
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