The Las Vegas Raiders need to do some soul-searching after a 45-17 loss to the New England Patriots in Week 5. Even though the team lost to the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 4, many came away impressed due to the fact that they nearly won.
A win against the Patriots would’ve cemented the Raiders as one of the top teams in the AFC, but now it’s clear they still have a lot of work to do. The team didn’t do anything right in Week 5.
The offense couldn’t move the ball consistently, the defense offered little resistance against the Patriots offense and special teams missed a field goal. They looked more like the team people expected them to be this season.
Now, the Raiders are in rebuilding time, which means that missing the playoffs this season isn’t the end of the world. However, they showed in the first four games that they could be a good team. Las Vegas needs to decide if they want to go all in on making a playoff run or just keep working on the rebuild and see what happens.
Portland Trail Blazers star Damian Lillard has been locked back into the Raiders, but he was not happy after the Patriots loss. He offered his plan to fix the team.
“Not a great day for Raider fans,” Lillard wrote on X. “Play Jermod McCoy, play Masses, play Mike Washington Jr, get a WR please…”
Play Jermod McCoy, play Masses, play Mike Washington Jr, get a WR please…
Does Lillard’s Plan Make Sense?
Some of Lillard’s ideas are logical. With the secondary playing terribly against the Patriots, it could be time to give rookie fourth-round pick Jermod McCoy a chance to play. He was supposed to be a first-round pick had he not been injured. He’s apparently healthy now, so it wouldn’t hurt to give him a bigger look.
Mike Washington Jr. only getting one carry against the Patriots makes no sense on the surface. The only thing that makes sense is if he was in the doghouse with the coaching staff this week. Klint Kubiak’s staff is very quiet, so we’ll likely never know for sure if Washington’s lack of touches was due to something he did during the practice week.
Now, Lillard wants to see Masses more, but he got his chances against the Patriots and played terribly. He has been a good player this season, but he’s also a rookie who was drafted in the fifth round. There are going to be some growing pains.
Also, getting a wide receiver is easier said than done. The Raiders didn’t get to trade for Marvin Harrison Jr., so it remains to be seen who else they could target. Brian Thomas has been talked about as a target, but it sounds like the Jacksonville Jaguars don’t want to trade him.
Stick With the Plan
The Raiders clearly came into this season with the idea that they are rebuilding. That’s why they didn’t address the wide receiver need or pass rusher need more aggressively.
The first three weeks had to feel good as they exceeded expectations, but the Raiders’ first three opponents have combined for one win out of 15 games. The team is headed in the right direction, but they need another offseason before they can really compete.
Damian Lillard Offers His Plan to Fix the Raiders After Embarrassing Loss