The Las Vegas Raiders are searching for answers after a fourth consecutive loss sent them under .500 for the first time this season, with the quarterback situation now certain to draw greater attention ahead of this week’s matchup with the New York Jets.
Las Vegas fell 35-21 to the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday, dropping into a 28-6 halftime hole before making the score more competitive after the break. Coach Klint Kubiak declined to make an immediate commitment on whether veteran Kirk Cousins will remain the starter or whether top overall draft pick Fernando Mendoza could be nearing his first NFL start.
Kubiak said the Raiders must examine every part of their operation after another uneven performance.
“We need to review the tape,” Kubiak said. “At this point, everything has to be considered: the red-zone issues, what happened in the third quarter, personnel and scheme. We have to discuss all of it.”
Cousins posts numbers but Raiders cannot find consistency
Cousins completed 26 of 44 passes for 295 yards and two touchdowns against the Rams, but Las Vegas generated only 128 first-half yards and settled for two field goals before halftime.
The Raiders had opportunities to make the finish more dramatic, but two failed fourth-down attempts in the third quarter stalled their comeback. Through seven games, Cousins has passed for 1,877 yards with an NFL-best 16 touchdown throws and five interceptions.
The veteran quarterback said his focus remains on giving the team its strongest chance to win, even as questions grow around Mendoza’s eventual promotion.
“I want this team to have the best opportunity to win,” Cousins said. “If it had been clear from the first OTA that I should not be playing, I would have been the first to say it.”
Mendoza is expected to take over at some point, but the Raiders’ broader problems may limit what an immediate quarterback change can accomplish.
Run game and defense continue to undermine Las Vegas
Las Vegas again failed to establish offensive balance against the Rams. Rookie running back Ashton Jeanty made an impact as a receiver, catching eight passes for 61 yards and a touchdown, but managed only 15 rushing yards on eight carries.
Kubiak said the heavy passing workload is a consequence of an offense that cannot consistently run the football or control game flow.
“You cannot win in this league when you have to pass as often as we do,” Kubiak said. “Without balance, you end up chasing the game.”
The defense has been equally problematic during the losing streak. Each of the Raiders’ past four opponents has scored at least 30 points, and Las Vegas has surrendered an average of 35.75 points per game in that stretch.
Jets game could shape Mendoza decision
The Raiders next face a Jets team coming off a loss to a Miami club that had been winless entering that game. How firmly Kubiak backs Cousins in his Monday comments could offer the clearest signal yet about the immediate direction at quarterback.
If Las Vegas keeps Cousins in place, Mendoza could be held back until after a difficult November sequence featuring the 6-1 San Francisco 49ers, 4-3 Seattle Seahawks, 5-2 Denver Broncos and 5-2 Cleveland Browns. If Kubiak views the Jets game as the right point to change course, however, the No. 1 pick could be pushed into the lineup sooner.
For now, the Raiders are not presenting their quarterback as the lone solution to a four-game slide. Fixing the ground attack, red-zone execution and a defense that has repeatedly been overwhelmed will be just as important to reversing their season.
