The Raiders faced the Bengals on Sunday in dire need of a win, but Las Vegas squandered an early opportunity to take control and let the game slip away, slowly but surely, eventually losing 32-13 at Allegiant Stadium.
Quarterback Derek Carr and the offense started their first drive of the game on the Bengals’ 9-yard line, thanks to a turnover from the Raiders defense, but they settled for a field goal, setting the tone for the lackluster performance.
Las Vegas has now lost three straight games and has a 5-5 record, putting its playoff chances in further jeopardy. But some players played well enough to provide optimism for the weeks ahead. Here are the Raiders winners and losers for the week after a disappointing loss.
Winners
Yannick Ngakoue
The day had an ideal start for the Raiders, thanks to defensive end Yannick Ngakoue. He sacked Bengals QB Joe Burrow and knocked the ball loose, allowing defensive back Dallin Leavitt to scoop the football up and run to Cincinnati’s 9-yard line.
Ball is out!@YannickNgakoue | #RaiderNation | CBS pic.twitter.com/WWsDCsRS7y
— Las Vegas Raiders (@Raiders) November 21, 2021
But the Raiders offense opted for a run up the middle by reserve running back Peyton Barber for one yard, followed by a pass to tight end Darren Waller that lost two yards and an incomplete pass to running back Josh Jacobs. Kicker Daniel Carlson converted a 26-yard field goal, and the day had an ominous vibe from the start for Las Vegas.
Darren Waller
Much of the talk surrounding the Raiders in the lead-up to this game involved the inconsistent usage of Waller, who is universally considered one of the top tight ends in a tight-end crazed league. Las Vegas went to him on their first set of failed plays, but Waller eventually found success to the tune of seven receptions for 116 yards.
Waller combined with TE Foster Moreau to help lead a brief Raiders comeback in the second half, with a three-play drive consisting of two big catches by Waller and a Moreau touchdown.
The Bengals scored on the ensuing drive, however, aided by a Raiders penalty for 12 players on the field. Las Vegas penalties kept Bengals’ drives alive all game long, unfortunately, wiping away multiple chances for the Raiders to stay competitive.
Denzel Perryman
Linebacker Denzel Perryman has been a revelation this season, leading the Raiders in tackles and hitting opponents hard, too. He set the defensive tone early with some nice hits, helping the defense play a quality first portion of the game as the Las Vegas offense struggled.
He ended the afternoon with 12 tackles (nine solos) with two tackles for loss and two passes defensed. The Raiders’ offseason signing of LB K.J. Wright was much splashier than their acquisition of Perryman, but Perryman has taken his career to new heights in Las Vegas and brings it every Sunday, no matter the circumstance.
Losers
Brandon Parker
Raiders offensive tackle Brandon Parker continues to have moments that beg the question: how is he even on the field?
Obviously, he’s the Raiders’ best option. And that speaks volumes regarding how poorly Las Vegas has managed its personnel over the last few years.
In the second half, after a 16-yard run by Jacobs provided some optimism for the Raiders offense, Parker badly missed a block, leading to a tackle for loss for the Bengals that stifled Las Vegas’ modest momentum.
SAM THE MAN 💪
Watch on CBS pic.twitter.com/0Xsa4U2der
— Cincinnati Bengals (@Bengals) November 21, 2021
Watching a replay of the snap during the game (14-second mark in the clip above), my jaw dropped. Parker simply does not look like an NFL offensive tackle on the play, and it’s not the first time that’s happened.
He shouldn’t be allowed to protect the Raiders’ skill players, unfortunately. Even more unfortunate, he’s the best the Raiders have at a time when they need much more.
Zay Jones
Wide receiver Zay Jones has struggled to make an impact all season long. Early on, however, he lacked snaps. Now he’s getting all the snaps any receiver could ever want but barely producing at all.
He had just one catch, and it was in garbage time. Carr targeted Jones just twice out of his 27 total attempts. Jones was more noticeable on special teams than on offense.
The Raiders have been talking Jones up for years now, but he’s done next to nothing in his Las Vegas career. And right now, the Raiders badly need one of their wideouts to step up. It appears Jones is nowhere close to the answer in that department, though his special teams play was solid.
Quinton Jefferson
Defensive tackle Quinton Jefferson got one of the Raiders’ three sacks on the day, but he still lands on the losers’ list. He’s here to represent Las Vegas’ multiple costly penalties against the Bengals.
Jefferson lined up offsides on a first-half 3rd-and-12 play for Cinncinati that ended in a Ngakoue sack, which was of course wiped out due to the penalty. Later in the drive, cornerback Brandon Facyson (who was tested all day and had an uneven, gritty performance) was called for a late hit, further aiding the Bengals march, which ended in a touchdown from running back Joe Mixon. The TD gave the Bengals a 10-6 lead they would not relinquish.
A roughing the quarterback penalty on Ngakoue was also costly, and Las Vegas had seven penalties to the Bengals’ one, and seemingly all were costly for the Raiders.
A couple of desperation plays from Carr led to two late turnovers for the Raiders and the rout eventually arrived. It never felt as though the Raiders had a legit chance to win this one, however, especially after that first blown opportunity to start the game.
Perhaps there was hope briefly after Moreau’s touchdown, but the offense, which was 1-for-7 on third down, never seemed fully engaged or in sync (perhaps best illustrated by a run on a 3rd-and-6 play in the first half). And the run defense struggled yet again.
Now, Las Vegas will face the Cowboys on Thanksgiving. After three straight stinkers, the Raiders clearly have a lot of issues to address on a short week. Coming out ready to play is the least they can do for fans that will spend part of their holiday watching the silver and black, hoping their squad can still make a move in the AFC.
