Bucky's Breakdown: Observations from the Raiders' Week 1 loss

Sep 10, 2024 at 01:00 PM

Bucky Brooks

NFL.com Analyst

In a weekly feature for the 2024 season, Bucky Brooks breaks down the Raiders' performance in a 22-10 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers.

KEYS TO VICTORY

The Chargers chalked up a critical divisional win, relying on a punishing running game and opportunistic defense to get it done. Jim Harbaugh's squad cracked the defensive code in the fourth quarter with J.K. Dobbins running through the defense on several downhill runs that exploited the unit's lack of discipline and physicality in critical moments. With Minshew gift-wrapping a scoring opportunity to the Chargers on a sloppy turnover at the end of the first half, the Raiders lost due to their inability to close out halves against a good team.

BIG IMPRESSION

The Raiders had every opportunity to swipe a win on the road but failed to make the critical plays in the clutch. Despite playing the game on their terms, with the defense leading the way, the Raiders could not take control of the game in the fourth quarter when the Chargers committed to their "three-yards-and-a-cloud-of-dust" approach. The lack of gap discipline and physicality against the Chargers' old-school running game kept the Raiders out of the win column. While Gardner Minshew's mistakes played a role in the loss, the defensive errors in the final 15 minutes will keep Antonio Pierce and Co. up at night when reviewing their Week 1 performance.

MINSHEW MANIA

The sixth-year pro took the offense on a roller coaster against the Chargers. Despite completing 25-of-33 passes for 257 yards with a touchdown and an interception, Minshew played a significant role in the Raiders' loss. The veteran made a few miscues and misfires that swung the game's momentum to the Chargers, including a botched pass attempt that gift-wrapped the opponent's points. While mistakes and misfires are a part of the game, Minshew's errors kept the Raiders from stealing a win against a division rival on the road.

UNSUNG HERO

Brock Bowers made an immediate splash during his NFL debut with six catches for 58 yards on eight targets. The 6-foot-4, 230-pounder is a unicorn at the position as a freak athlete with polished route running skills and dynamic playmaking ability. Bowers produced an explosive 26-yard play on a crafty corner route, leaving the assigned linebacker and safety spinning around like ballerinas. The rookie's precision and polish will make him a tough matchup for future opponents hoping to cover him with single coverage.

OFFENSIVELY SPEAKING

Despite having enough pieces to field a scoreboard-busting unit, the inconsistency of the Raiders offense prevented the team from sneaking out of SoFi Stadium with a surprising win against a division rival. The rushing attack never got untracked (22 rushes for 71 yards), and a lack of offensive balance enabled the Chargers to load up against Gardner Minshew and Co. on obvious passing downs. While the scattershot performance of the offensive line contributed to the Raiders' struggles on the ground, the unit also failed to handle the Chargers' pass-rush games at the line of scrimmage. The constant twisting and "club-and-rip" maneuvers disrupted the game's rhythm, as evidenced by the timely sacks from Joey Bosa and Khalil Mack.

Moreover, the lack of solid protection for Minshew forced the veteran to play like a gunslinger instead of relying on his managerial skills to help the Raiders seize control utilizing various "Bully Ball" tactics. With turnovers and conservative play calls also disrupting the offense's rhythm, the Raiders weren't able to walk out of SoFi Stadium with a win.

DEFENSIVELY SPEAKING

For three quarters, defensive coordinator Patrick Graham was on the mark with his plan. The defensive wizard forced Los Angeles into a "gritty" game that required each coach to rely on a throwback approach. The Raiders contained Justin Herbert and the Chargers' aerial attack with suffocating coverage while boxing in the running game for 45 minutes. The plan fell apart in the fourth quarter with Dobbins running wild between the tackles on various power-based runs from the I-formation.

Despite displaying outstanding gap discipline and physicality for most of the contest, the fourth-quarter misues will prompt the coaches to re-evaluate their plan for future matchups. The unit could not get off the field on critical downs, and the inability to stop the Chargers' punishing running game over the final 15 minutes cost the Raiders a winnable game on the road.

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Las Vegas Raiders punter AJ Cole's (6) jersey in the locker room prior to the Raiders' arrival for their regular season away game against the Los Angeles Chargers at SoFi Stadium.