Las Vegas Raiders vs. Pittsburgh Steelers Instant Reaction
The Las Vegas Raiders fell to 6-9 on the season with a disappointing 13-10 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers at frigid Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh.
On this Christmas eve, a time of joy, it seemed more like Festivus, as the Raiders saw their once-promising 2022 NFL season come crashing down. Sure they have two remaining games, but this team is a playoff-or-bust franchise, and the playoff dreams essentially are dead.
It was a game that gave us more questions than answers about this team, and here is my instant reaction:
No. 1--Coach Josh Mcdaniels' offense has not been bad in every game this year, but it has been more times than it has been good. That is on him as the head coach and the real offensive coordinator. I don't want to hear about execution. No doubt his players have not been great, but his offense has repeatedly shown what they can do, and the second-half impotence can't be excused.
No. 2--Linebacker Denzel Perryman is such a key part of this team. Once he goes down, the defense is in real trouble.
No. 3--Tight end Foster Moreau had two critical mistakes. He let a perfect pass by Derek Carr pop up and get intercepted, and then got a brutal personal foul. He is a great guy with some amazing talent, but his mistake is more critical than his contributions.
No. 4--I continue to harp on secondary coaching. Repeated mistakes by the defensive backs are ridiculous. Watching defensive backs with their heads down and diving at guys rather them tackling them is absurd.
No. 5--The Raiders' defense played so well, but the offense was terrible after an opening drive touchdown. All night the offensive line was brutalized, and even though the Derek Carr interception on the throw to Foster Moreau was not his fault, the other two were.
The Raiders return to action next Sunday on New Year's Day at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas versus the San Francisco 49ers. That game kicks off at 4:05 p.m. EST/1:05 p.m. PST and can be seen on FOX.
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