Good, Bad, and Ugly from Las Vegas Raiders vs Giants

1. The Good: The Las Vegas Raiders looked great in the first half

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While the Las Vegas Raiders ultimately lost 23-16 Sunday against the New York Giants, they managed to stay competitive during the first half of the game. In fact, that was where Derek Carr found Hunter Renfrow in the endzone for his only touchdown of the day. The organization even held a 13-10 lead in the first half but gave up 13 in the second half.  Of course, the Raiders had their missteps in the first half of the game, but it was a  much better performance than what they put together in the second half. 

 The team would only put three more points on the board before the end of the game. This is supposed to be one of the best multi-tiered offenses in the league, and they can only manage three points in the second half?

2. The Bad: Derek Carr’s breakdown could be bad news for the Las Vegas Raiders

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It’s no secret that  Las Vegas Raiders Quarterback Derek Carr is an elite-level Quarterback, but he doesn’t always act like it. For example, on Sunday, he looked like the same man that lost in a blowout to the  Atlanta Falcons last year.  Furthermore, he threw one touchdown to two interceptions, which is not a good look for someone supposed to be one of the best passers in the league. Is this another breakdown for Carr? Is he starting to doubt himself in the starting spot again? How long will it last this time?

Maybe what happened to Henry Ruggs really did affect everyone. We all saw the emotions pour out of Carr when asked about Ruggs during a press conference, and you have to wonder if he wasn’t feeling that on the field. The whole team might have felt as if a  member of their family was no longer with them. 

3. The Ugly: The Raiders can’t seem to protect the rush.

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How does the Las Vegas Raiders’ defense give up 245 yards against one of the worst teams in the NFL? Furthermore, how does any team hoping for a playoff spot end up being pushed back 149 yards on the ground?  Now, it is worth mentioning that the Raiders did a good job limiting Daniel Jones, even holding him to 110 yards and laying him down for two key sacks during the game.  Jones was also only able to reach the endzone once in the air, meaning the Raiders did a great job putting pressure on their opponents all game long.

As for the running game, however, it appears as if the Raiders just didn’t have an answer.  For example, Devontae Parker racked up 99 yards against the organization, and Elijhea Penny tacked on another 35. These might seem like small numbers, but they really made the difference. 

The team can not afford another loss like this.