4 Raiders most responsible for Week 14 loss to Rams

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The Las Vegas Raiders saw their three-game winning streak snapped by the Los Angeles Rams and their newly acquired quarterback Baker Mayfield, 17-16, on the road in Week 14 of the 2022 NFL season. The Raiders held a double-digit lead in the game before the Rams’ late-game rally. The Raiders are now 5-8, which puts them in third place in the AFC West. Here, discuss well the four Raiders most to blame for their disappointing Week 14 loss to the Rams.

This season, the Raiders have suffered many terrible losses, including losses to the Cardinals and Colts. However, this one against the Rams stings quite differently. With a 16-3 advantage at the end of the fourth quarter against a quarterback who just arrived on Tuesday, the Raiders should have had complete control of the game. The Raiders’ penalties, however, gave the Rams plenty of first downs. These have become the main differentiating factors of the games. Well dig into that later.

Looking ahead to Week 15, the Raiders will take on the New England Patriots in a game they absolutely must win. Then, on Christmas Eve, they will face the Steelers in Pittsburgh. Whatever happens, however, the Raiders’ season is almost over with this team currently on eight losses.

For now, let’s look at the four Raiders most responsible for their Week 14 loss to the Rams.

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Las Vegas Raiders (@Raiders) December 9, 2022

4. DC Patrick Graham

Las Vegas defensive coordinator Patrick Graham orchestrated a pretty solid defense for the Raiders. However, in this game it was very uneven. Considering new Rams QB Baker Mayfield had barely grasped the playbook, facing him should have been a simple task. It was therefore mind-boggling and totally insane to allow him to push 98 yards in the fourth period in less than a minute.

The defensive front, however, made valiant efforts. They recorded four sacks, five tackles for loss and six quarterback hits. Still, it all came to naught as the Raiders failed to complete the Rams deal.

Las Vegas also made major mistakes. For example, cornerback Sam Webb stepped in adequately for a secondary that needed solutions and was dealing with injury issues. However, he allowed the winning score and didn’t even see it coming.

3. Turner DJ WR

Even though the Raiders had 235 more yards than the Rams in the first half, their lead was only 13-3. Wide receiver DJ Turner also had a drop and that kind of offense day summary. Recall that Las Vegas had advanced to the 8-yard line and was brought back to the 13. Subsequently, Turner dropped a pass from quarterback Derek Carr on a wide receiver screen.

Turner didn’t even give himself or the Raiders a chance in that streak. This added to the teams downfall although it was uncertain whether he would have been awarded a first down. He finished with 0 meters in the day.

As a team, the Raiders’ receiving corps also didn’t fare very well. They had 93 fewer aerial yards than their Rams counterparts, with Davante Adams leading 71.

2. QB Derek Carr

In that heartbreaking loss to the Rams, Carr completed 11 of 20 passes for 137 yards without a touchdown and two interceptions. Additionally, he gained 11 yards on four carries. He did, however, have a career-low 36.9 passer rating.

The Raiders’ air offense had a tough night, as evidenced by Carr’s disappointing stat line. The seasoned quarterback had his lowest yardage total since Week 8 against the Saints. Carr also completed a single touchdown pass in a game for the first time since recording 11 touchdowns in Weeks 9-13. His two interceptions brought his three-game total in that category to five. The second came on a final throw. However, his pick just before halftime lost the Raiders was very costly. A Rams error led to a 10-play, 73-yard drive that was ruined by Carrs’ interception.

It was just a terrible performance from Carr. For a crucial Week 15 home game against the Patriots, Carr will have more time to reconnect with his receiving corps. He could even see Hunter Renfrow and Darren Waller make a return from injured reserve.

1. Penalties, Penalties

The Raiders committed numerous penalties throughout the game, especially on the Rams’ last score. As we said before, this ultimately changed the outcome.

In the fourth quarter, the Raiders led 16-3 and had just punted the Rams. Defensive end Clelin Ferrell, however, was in the wrong place for the punt. That penalty gave the Rams a first down. CB Tyler Hall was also flagged during the game, but the penalty request was denied.

And then we saw Las Vegas get two crucial penalties on consecutive plays after Raiders punter AJ Cole bounced the ball along the sidelines at the 2-yard line.

The first was when Amik Robertson received a pass interference penalty just as safety Duron Harmon recorded an interception. Raiders defensive ends Maxx Crosby and Chandler Jones then teamed up for a sack on the following play. Afterward, however, OT Jerry Tillery knocked the ball out of Mayfield’s hands as the defense celebrated. This foolish action resulted in another penalty and a first down for the Rams.

In fact, five of the Rams’ first 20 tries have ended in penalties. Additionally, the Raiders racked up 89 penalty yards in the second half on five of their six total penalties.

The Raiders should have had that in the bag, but their penalties kept the door ajar for the Rams rally.

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