INGLEWOOD, Calif. — The Raiders aren’t going anywhere until they can figure out how to win games in their division.
That was far from the case Sunday when the Chargers easily handled them 31-14 at SoFi Stadium.
Not only was it the Raiders’ sixth straight loss to fall to 2-10 but also their 10th consecutive loss in the AFC West. The last time they won a division game was the 2023 season finale against the Broncos.
Even after firing offensive coordinator Chip Kelly last week and replacing him with quarterbacks coach Greg Olson, the Raiders’ offense continued to sputter while churning out just 156 yards and 12 first downs and converting only 2 of 8 third downs.
Quarterback Geno Smith and tight end Brock Bowers hooked up for two 6-yard touchdowns for the Raiders’ only scores.
It was slightly better on defense, though not nearly enough to overcome another day of offensive struggles.
Here are three takeaways from the loss:
1. First glimpse of new offense
Kelly’s firing 11 games into the season eliminated the possibility of making wholesale changes.
“To have an expectation that we were just going to flip and all of a sudden we were going to be ripping, we would have liked to have seen that, but that didn’t happen,” coach Pete Carroll said.
The focus was on communication and doing a better job of refining strengths and masking weaknesses.
“We had no problem functioning, and in a couple of days’ time, that’s a nice accomplishment from those guys,” Carroll said. “But we’ll get a lot better.”
In terms of results, the Raiders still struggled to consistently run the ball and protect Smith.
Ashton Jeanty had little room to operate while rushing for 31 yards on 15 carries. Smith was sacked five times and under duress throughout.
By the end of the third quarter, the Raiders still had not cracked 100 yards of offense — they had 91 — and trailed 21-7.
As has been the case all season, the biggest problem was along the offensive line. With three starters sidelined — including center/guard Jordan Meredith, ruled out before the game with an ankle injury — the group struggled to gain traction in run blocking and seemed overwhelmed in pass protection.
One positive: The Raiders managed to produce two long touchdown drives.
They put together an eight-play, 82-yard march in the second quarter, capped by Smith’s touchdown throw to Bowers to tie the score 7-7.
In the fourth quarter, the Raiders drove 65 yards on 13 plays, capped again by Smith’s touchdown pass to Bowers to make the score 24-14.
In each case, the Raiders provided a glimpse of what is possible when Smith gets time and can tap into Bowers, who finished with four catches for 63 yards and the two touchdowns.
2. Run defense struggles
The Raiders’ tackling has been inconsistent all season. It was really bad Sunday, specifically in the second half, with multiple players whiffing on tackles or allowing ball carriers to run through them.
The Chargers (8-4) took advantage by gashing the Raiders for 192 yards rushing on 43 carries, including Kimani Vidal’s 59-yard touchdown on Los Angeles’ first possession of the second half to put the Chargers up 14-7.
What made it all the more frustrating was how the Raiders limited the Chargers to 2.6 yards per carry in the first half, only to revert to bad habits on Vidal’s long run.
“We just screwed it up,” Carroll said. “We had three guys there that could make the play, and it winds up being a 60-yard touchdown. That was a backbreaking play.”
The Chargers averaged 6 yards per carry in the second half while rushing for 132 yards.
3. Maxx Crosby, Bowers stand out
Crosby continues to make an impact.
The Raiders’ star defensive end was flying around the field while finishing with six tackles, including four for loss, and two sacks.
The 28-year-old is still in his prime and playing as well as ever. Unfortunately for him, another season is nearing an end, with his remarkable play wasted by the Raiders’ overall ineptness.
Bowers is only in his second season, and has battled a left knee injury part of the season, but he already is a star among tight ends. His second touchdown was a remarkable one-handed catch despite close coverage by cornerback Cam Hart.
“We see it week in and week out, he makes plays all over the field,” Smith said. “He does things not many guys can do, and we’ve got to continue to find ways to get him in space and get him the ball.”
Contact Vincent Bonsignore at vbonsignore@reviewjournal.com. Follow @VinnyBonsignore on X.
