Raiders' inexperienced offensive line is struggling to open holes or protect the QB

Updated Oct. 28, 2024 8:51 p.m. ET

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HENDERSON, Nev. (AP) — A sign of what was to come occurred on the Raiders' first offensive play Sunday.

Kolton Miller jumped early, the first of three pre-snap penalties by Las Vegas' offensive line. Jackson Powers-Johnson later committed the other two in a span of three plays.

It was a rough day for the line, which committed four of the Raiders' five infractions in their 27-20 loss to the Chiefs. The front also couldn't run block against one of the NFL's top rushing defenses, and Las Vegas (2-6) ended the game with 33 yards on the ground and an average of 1.6 per carry.

The Raiders' pass blocking wasn't great, either. Gardner Minshew got sacked five times with Kansas City defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo going blitz-heavy in the second half.

The line, which includes rookie starters Powers-Johnson and DJ Glaze, has been a season-long issue, although the pre-snap penalties should be the easiest to correct.

“First play, you get called on three guys moving, right?” coach Antonio Pierce said Monday. "Obviously with the cadence, that’s got to be cleaned up. And a couple of them are on some younger players, right? Just got to sit there and hold your hat. Those guys, we’re asking them to do a lot right now. Had a big challenge in front of Chris Jones. Not an excuse. Sit there until the ball is snapped.”

Las Vegas' other issues aren't as easy to address.

The Raiders have allowed 3.1 sacks per game, 27th in the league, but their run blocking has been even more egregious.

They have broken 100 yards only three times this season and their averages of 79 yards per game and 3.55 per play each rank second to last.

The Chiefs made the Raiders one-dimensional and forced Minshew to try to beat them. Expect other opponents to follow a similar plan, although Pierce said he is committed to making the run work.

Las Vegas tried to force its way into the end zone after an interception gave the Raiders possession at Kansas City's 3-yard line. The Raiders trailed 17-13 in the third quarter and a touchdown would have put them in position for an unexpected win.

Alexander Mattison rushed to the 1 on first down, but after two more runs, not only did the Raiders fail to create enough of a push for him to score, he actually went backward. A fourth-down sack ended the threat.

“We want to run the football, we want to be physical up front and win the line of scrimmage,” Pierce said. “That didn’t happen last night. We got knocked back in critical moments, not all the time, but in critical moments, especially when we were down there at the goal line.”

What’s working

The Raiders have been great on script. They have opened three of their past four games by scoring touchdowns on their opening drives. It's the rest of the game, when adjustments need to be made, that's the problem.

What needs help

Las Vegas has yet to recover an opponent's fumble, going 0 for 4. No team since at least 1999 has gone an entire season without at least one. That's a major reason the Raiders are tied with the Titans at the bottom of the NFL with a minus-13 turnover margin.

Stock up

The Raiders have increased their chances of getting a high draft pick and maybe landing a franchise quarterback. They went into Monday projected to pick seventh in next year's draft. Miami's Cam Ward, Colorado's Shedeur Sanders and Georgia's Carson Beck could be available, though next year's quarterback class isn't considered as strong as this year's.

Stock down

Home field isn't always a thing at Allegiant Stadium, especially when the Chiefs visit. They have won three times there in the past 350 days, the same number as the Raiders. Kansas City beat the Raiders twice and won the Super Bowl in its other visit. The Raiders, however, are the last team to beat the Chiefs, winning on the road last Christmas Day.

Injuries

Pierce didn't have an update on C Andre James (ankle).

Key number

8 — The Raiders are one of 14 teams in NFL history to trail by double digits in each of their first eight games of a season. The 2013 Jaguars were the most recent.

Next steps

The Raiders visit Cincinnati on Sunday in a matchup of teams at or near the bottom of their divisions.

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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl

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