It wasn’t pretty, but at least it’s over. Let’s talk about the good, bad, and ugly from the Las Vegas Raiders’ 2022 season.
The Good: Joshua Jacobs earned the season rushing record
Joshua Jacobs was a bright spot for the Las Vegas Raiders in 2022 and even had the most rushing yards at the end of the season. This all comes after Joshua Jacobs’s third-year option on his rookie contract got declined, forcing him to prove himself to Raiders brass.
Jacobs responded with 340 attempts for 1653 yards, 12 touchdowns, and 4.9 yards per gain. He also showed teeth in the passing game, being the fourth most thrown-to receiver on the Raiders. He eventually racked up 53 receptions on 64 targets for 400 yards. It’s time to pay this man what he is owed after accumulating these numbers.
The Bad: The defense
The Las Vegas Raiders had one of the worst defenses in the league in 2022 and lost several games as a result. The Raiders gave up over 4,000 passing yards this year, marking them the 24th best. As for the rushing game, the Raiders fared slightly better by only giving up 2,087 yards on the ground. They even gave up 20 touchdowns and 4.9 yards per carry.
The biggest problem with the defense seems to be their lack of conditioning and discipline. While the Raiders were sometimes hit or miss on defense, there were times when they shut down their opponent. Unfortunately for Las Vegas, the other team always responded in the second half by making better adjustments.
Las Vegas just got worn out after four quarters of football and their opponents easily erased any lead they had. Add in Derek Carr’s struggles with turning the ball over, and you have a recipe for disaster. The defense needs to change before the Raiders take the field again in 2023, or it will be the same story no matter what happens to Carr.
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The Ugly: The ongoing Derek Carr situation
Derek Carr has been the Las Vegas Raiders’ quarterback for almost a decade, and little has come of it. Of course, Carr did make the playoffs twice with the Raiders and has been their most consistent QB in decades. The problem, however, is that he always has a habit of choking at the worst possible moment.
This came to a head during the 2022 season when the Raiders decided to bench Carr in favor of rookie, Jarrett Stidham for the last two games of 2022. Carr, who just signed a $121.5 million contract extension, is now seemingly on the outs.
Whether this is Josh McDaniels scapegoating to keep his job, or something deeper isn’t known at this time. All that is really known is the fact that Derek Carr will likely not be returning to the Raiders.
The possibility leaves the Raiders very much in free fall heading into 2023. In fact, with their longtime QB gone, Josh McDaniels still unproven, and a faltering defense, who knows if anything will change?
Final thoughts on Las Vegas Raiders’ 2022 season
2022 was a disaster for the Las Vegas Raiders, making previous promises of change ring hollow. The Raiders seemed poised for greatness with the addition of Josh McDaniels and Davantae Adams, but it didn’t work out.
The Raiders finished the season at 6-11 and now go into the offseason with McDaniels on the hot seat and one of the worst defenses in the NFL.
Now the Raiders run the risk of ignoring one problem to correct another. One example of this would be to get rid of Carr and keep the defense the same. The best solution would be to take a multi-level approach and build this team from the ground up.
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