Smelly Blue Book Value: Carr, Raiders Stall In Opener -

The Las Vegas Raiders started their 2022 season with a sloppy 24-19 loss to the Chargers. Derek Carr endured a Sunday to forget.

Usually, when a season starts, you can shake off the results of Week One as luck: good or bad. With that said, despite what anyone says, the Las Vegas Raiders earned that loss. In dropping to the Los Angeles Chargers, the Raiders began their season on an unfortunate note. However, for them, sixteen more chances at erasing this early bad taste exist. At the same time, in his ninth season, Derek Carr did not look comfortable.

Compounding Mistakes

Without a doubt, Derek Carr possesses the physical talent to be an elite NFL quarterback. Blessed with nimble feet and a strong arm, he should be threatening defenses. In this game, he looked stuck, moving around the crumbling pocket with concrete in his shoes. On balance, with a shaky offensive line, Carr can escape the pocket. Yet, he did not look at ease between the tackles, especially with an unrelenting rush. In his defense, the Raiders scored sixteen second-half points, putting them in shape to pull a last-minute victory out. Yet, between holding the ball too long and hitting Charger after Charger in stride, Derek Carr suffered through an atrocious day.

The Void

On the right side of the offensive line, the Raiders switched tackles three times during the game, hoping to find anyone capable of blocking. Who would fathom that Alex Leatherwood would be missed? Well, he wasn’t. However, the Raiders entered the draft back in the spring with a giant hole at right tackle. They failed to provide a scintilla of any help. Granted, for as terrible as the quarterback play, the offensive line did him absolutely no favors. Going forward, the Raiders need to address that issue, finding a solution and not a fix.

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A Tale Of Two Wideouts

If you thought that Davante Adams would struggle to find his bearings in his debut, think again. In pulling down ten grabs for 141 yards and a score, Adams gave the organization and fanbase a sample of why the Raiders traded high draft capital for him. Adams, looking in midseason form, carved up the Chargers all game long. Moreover, the seventeen targets speak to the level of trust. In contrast, Hunter Renfrow did not enjoy the typical outing you’d respect. Three catches for twenty-one yards feels like a quiet outing for the standout receiver.

An Easy Sunday

The Raiders, at all three levels of their defense, could not harass, or disrupt Los Angeles. Even with Keenan Allen, leaving the game, the defense did not generate pressure. Additionally, the secondary and linebackers looked a step behind all afternoon. Justin Herbert connected with nine different receivers. The Raiders did not sack Herbert. In return, he dissected them. Patrick Graham will need to find a way to get into the backfield.

Glass Half Full

For as awful as the game looked, you can take a bright spot or two. First, the offense, despite porous blocking climbed back with a chance to win later in the game. Next, the aggressiveness of Nate Hobbs in coverage and tackling gives a look into the immediate future of the defense. Lastly, as mentioned, one game in, and no one should panic or worry. The Raiders, at least in this incarnation, looks built to withstand adversity.