Raiders coach Pete Carroll said Monday the bye week will be spent working injured players back into the lineup and analyzing what has gone wrong for a team that had tried to foster a culture of expectations.
They will do it on the heels of one of the most embarrassing losses in franchise history, when they failed to gain 100 yards in a 31-0 beatdown in Kansas City on Sunday that could have been a lot worse.
One issue was the offense was missing its top two pass catchers in wide receiver Jakobi Meyers (knee, toe) and tight end Brock Bowers (knee).
Carroll hopes both will be back when the Raiders host the Jaguars on Nov. 2, along with star defensive end Maxx Crosby, who left Sunday’s game with knee and back injuries.
“Brock should be ready to go,” Carroll said of Bowers, who has missed three games. “Jakobi was close (after working out pregame). He should be ready to go. Gives us a chance to get Maxx, too.”
Busy bye week
The Raiders also will use the bye week to evaluate the progress of younger players and look at their roles.
But some work also will be done off the field, as the team tries to figure out what has gone wrong in a 2-5 start that doesn’t show much promise to get better.
“We have to analyze everything going into this bye,” linebacker Elandon Roberts said Sunday. “Look at every phase of the game. Look at ourselves individually. Everything. Then get back on the right track.”
Carroll pointed out the team has made great strides in cleaning up a special teams unit that was abysmal for about a month and cutting down on an inordinate number of turnovers.
But mistake-free doesn’t always mean efficient on offense. It certainly hasn’t translated to explosive.
The Raiders haven’t been good in enough areas, something Carroll is lamenting nearly midway through his first season on a job he wasn’t expecting to be so daunting.
“I’m surprised that we’re not farther along than we are,” he said. “I thought we would be, and I anticipated being farther along and being cleaner with our game.”
Changes in store?
Carroll said the “competition is on” for several positions, though not necessarily at quarterback, where Kenny Pickett replaced Geno Smith on Sunday.
I thought it was right to get (Smith) out, and Kenny needs to get some snaps,” Carroll said. “Then right off the bat, he screws up and (fumbled) the freaking first snap. He just needs some playing time in case we need to call on him so he feels comfortable jumping in.”
Starting guard Jackson Powers-Johnson was replaced by Alex Cappa during Sunday’s game, which is a situation to monitor.
But those are micro issues compared to the big picture of where this team is in terms of its future with another losing season on the horizon.
Sunday’s loss was a stark reminder of how far the Raiders have to go, a game that ranks among their ugliest since they moved to Las Vegas.
Here is a chronological sampling of some of the others:
Falcons 43, Raiders 6 (Nov. 29, 2020)
The Raiders turned the ball over five times and were blown off the field by a team that finished 4-12 and had a top-five pick in the NFL draft.
It was a devastating loss for a team that was 6-4 and in the thick of the playoff race at the time.
Saints 24, Raiders 0 (Oct. 30, 2022)
A game that was mentioned several times on social media Sunday as a logical comparison to what happened in Kansas City.
The Raiders did not cross midfield until less than two minutes remained in the game.
Colts 25, Raiders 20 (Nov. 13, 2022)
The Colts were in such disarray that they made the unorthodox decision to fire their coach and replace him with former player Jeff Saturday, an analyst on ESPN at the time.
Less than a week later, Saturday won his head coaching debut against the Raiders at Allegiant Stadium.
Rams 17, Raiders 16 (Dec. 8, 2022)
The final score isn’t the reason this game is on the list.
Instead, this game is remembered because the Rams claimed Baker Mayfield off waivers two days before the game to lead a team on a six-game losing streak that was missing several star players, including quarterback Matthew Stafford and defensive tackle Aaron Donald.
Silly penalties contributed to a late meltdown that included a heroic last-minute drive by Mayfield, as the Raiders lost for the fourth time when leading by double digits at halftime and all but eliminated themselves from the postseason race.
Bears 30, Raiders 12 (Oct. 22, 2023)
Brian Hoyer and Aidan O’Connell combined for three interceptions, and the Raiders, who entered the game 3-3 on a two-game winning streak and starting to show promise, were never competitive. The Bears were 1-5 and starting undrafted rookie free agent Tyson Bagent at quarterback for the first time in his career.
It marked the beginning of the end for coach Josh McDaniels, who was fired a week later after a loss to the Lions on “Monday Night Football.”
Vikings 3, Raiders 0 (Dec. 10, 2023)
The Raiders defense shut down Minnesota backup quarterbacks Josh Dobbs and Nick Mullens, but the offense couldn’t take advantage.
The Vikings broke the tie on a field goal at the two-minute warning of the fourth quarter.
As bad as the performance was, the Raiders actually finished that game with 202 yards. They had 95 Sunday against the Chiefs.
Contact Adam Hill at [ahill@reviewjournal.com.](mailto:ahill@reviewjournal.com) Follow [@AdamHillLVRJ](https://x.com/AdamHillLVRJ) on X.
**Up next**
**Who:** Jaguars at Raiders
**When:** 1:05 p.m., Nov. 2
**Where:** Allegiant Stadium
**TV:** Fox
**Radio:** KRLV-AM (920), KOMP-FM (92.3)
**Line:** Off