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New quarterback, same struggles as Raiders offense shutout in Philadelphia
For the fourth time this season, Las Vegas has been beaten by an NFC team.
The Raiders were shutout, 31-0, by the Philadelphia Eagles Sunday, Dec. 14 from Lincoln Financial Stadium in a Week 15 matchup. Las Vegas’ losing streak is now up to eight games, something that has occurred in each of the last two seasons.
“It’s the NFL,” quarterback Kenny Pickett said. “It’s the ultimate team game, always. It’ll always be that way.”
Having now gone without a win for more than two months, the Raiders are now 2-12 on the year. As it presently stands, the franchise currently holds the second-best odds to land the No. 1 overall pick in next year’s NFL Draft behind only the New York Giants.
Sunday was the first of back-to-back road games for Las Vegas as it now prepares for its final away game of the season. It will take place in Houston, Texas against the Texans which is scheduled for Sunday, Dec. 21 with kickoff set up for 1:25 p.m.
“Everyone’s looking for the right answers,” Pickett said. “We’ve just got to figure it out in these last three.”
With normal starter Geno Smith out due to injury, Pickett made his first start of the season. Though it was his first start of the year, Pickett still endured a similar fate often as Smith did when he was under center.
He was sacked four times in the loss for a total of 35 yards. Las Vegas has now given up at least four sacks in each of the team’s last six games.
“I think their four-man rush was getting home,” Pickett said. “When they’re rushing four and dropping seven, it makes it tough throwing the football.”
That opening drive included a sack and ended after an incomplete pass on 4th and 6 stalled a drive at the Philadelphia 33-yard line. At the time, the Raiders were down 7-0 to the Eagles.
By the end of the game, Las Vegas had been held to just 75 total yards and seven first downs.
“We just lacked explosive plays,” Pickett said. “Couldn’t stay on the field long enough, couldn’t help our defense out, didn’t put points up. Really everything, we just have to improve everywhere.”
Pickett went 15-for-25 for 64 yards to go along with an interception. Rookie running back Ashton Jeanty tallied 42 total yards on 13 touches.
“Our inability to get the ball moving where we can have some kind of substance of a run game to play off of,” Carroll said. “When you don’t convert on third downs, you just don’t get the chances.”
After entering the game 28th in the league on third downs, Philadelphia went 10-for-13 on the money down on Sunday. In addition, quarterback Jalen Hurts was coming off his worst performance as a professional and rebounded similar to how one may expect of a former Super Bowl MVP.
Hurts found receiver Devonta Smith for 43 yards late in the first quarter to set up another scoring drive. He’d finish the game with 175 yards and three touchdowns on 12-of-15 passing.
The Eagles went into halftime up, 17-0. Things opened up even wider in the second half.
On the first possession of the third quarter for Philadelphia, the team racked up three plays of at least 10 yards on the way to a touchdown score to go up 24-0.
Hurts wasn’t done yet as he tossed a 27-yard touchdown to receiver A.J. Brown on the first play of the fourth quarter.
The lead was so lopsided, backup quarterback Tanner McKee entered the game for the Eagles after that. He’d help lead a 17-play drive in that fourth quarter but it would end with the team being stopped short of the goal line on a fourth down.
Despite the failed scoring attempt late, Philadelphia won the time of possession battle, 39:25 to 20:35.
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