LAS VEGAS — The head coach of the Las Vegas Raiders, Antonio Pierce, emphasizes that physicality is a core aspect of his team’s identity. However, this foundational characteristic seemed to be lacking once again.
The Kansas City Chiefs maintained their undefeated record at 7-0 with a 27-20 win on Sunday. In contrast, the struggling Raiders fell to 2-6, marking their fourth consecutive loss and their poorest offensive performance of the season.
“We’re working hard to instill physicality in our front players,” Pierce explained. “That’s been part of our team’s identity, something we’ve focused on since training camp. We will keep stressing the importance of this.”
The Raiders ended the game with a season-low total of 228 yards and managed only 33 rushing yards, their lowest output against the Chiefs since back in 2004 when they only gained 31 yards on the ground. Furthermore, their average of 1.57 yards per carry marked the second-lowest figure they’ve recorded against Kansas City, with the lowest being 0.73 yards in 1995.
Only three teams have averaged under 2.0 yards per carry in a game this season on four occasions, and notably, the Raiders have achieved that dubious distinction twice—both times managing just 1.6 yards per carry.
Running back Alexander Mattison acknowledged the challenges, indicating, “The defensive front was impressive today. We have to credit their performance. However, we must improve our execution and our game plan moving forward.”
“We’ll analyze the tape to identify what went wrong and what could have gone better. I need to fight for those additional yards and do everything I can to help our offensive production. This is a collective effort, so we must approach this as a unified team, hold ourselves accountable, and work to ensure this doesn’t keep happening.”
Despite the offensive struggles, both Mattison and quarterback Gardner Minshew defended the play-calling of offensive coordinator Luke Getsy, even though only four drives exceeded four plays. A missed opportunity occurred when the Raiders intercepted a pass in the third quarter and positioned themselves at the Chiefs’ 3-yard line. Three consecutive runs by Mattison fell short, followed by a sack of Minshew on fourth down.
“There are two sides to the story,” said Mattison. “There’s the play-calling and there’s execution. Both need to be aligned, and we had several instances where they weren’t. We have to take responsibility for that, ensure we improve on the next drive, and on each play.”
“We faced too many situations today where we failed to execute. When we find ourselves in critical moments, it’s essential that we convert those into points. And of course, we must eliminate turnovers, which has been a recurring issue, preventing us from winning games.”
Looking ahead, the Raiders will travel to Cincinnati next Sunday before heading into their bye week, providing them an opportunity to address their offensive struggles.