Raiders Suffer Brutal Home-Opening Loss on Monday Night Football.
The Las Vegas Raiders opened their home slate under the bright lights of “Monday Night Football,” but it was a night to forget. Their AFC West rival, the Los Angeles Chargers, came into Allegiant Stadium and handed them a 20-9 defeat that exposed every weakness on the Raiders’ offense.
The game couldn’t have started worse. On the very first play from scrimmage, Geno Smith threw an interception. The defense bailed him out by holding the Chargers to a field goal, but the tone was already set.
Daniel Carlson kept the Raiders in it early with a booming 54-yard field goal, but every time the Raiders got close, they stalled. Twice they reached scoring range, twice they settled for field goals. Meanwhile, Justin Herbert and the Chargers’ offense found the end zone just before halftime, building a 20-6 cushion that felt much larger.
The defense deserves credit. They battled all night, forcing stops and even giving the offense prime field position in the fourth quarter with a big fourth-down stand. But each time the Raiders had a chance to flip the game, the offense sputtered. Smith tossed three interceptions in total, the last one erasing their best chance at a comeback.
Las Vegas finished with just nine first downs in the first half and went 3-for-8 on third down. By the time the final whistle blew, they still hadn’t found the end zone.
For a home opener, it was a gut punch. The Raiders’ defense looked gritty and tough, but the offense flat-out failed to deliver. Smith’s mistakes and the inability to finish drives were the story of the night.
Now at 1-1, the Silver and Black head east again in Week 3 to face the Washington Commanders, hoping to regroup and prove that Monday night’s dud was more of a stumble than a trend.
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