HENDERSON, Nev. (AP) — As a coach with a defensive background, Antonio Pierce isn't all that comfortable throwing 43 passes in a game.
But that's what his Raiders did in Sunday's 34-19 loss at Miami, which Pierce attributed Monday to needing to catch up while playing from behind.
He said it's important that Las Vegas still try to establish a run game, which it tried to do in the first half in rushing 12 times for 49 yards. But the Raiders haven't had a ground attack to speak of this season, and that's the problem.
Pierce might not want to throw the ball 43 times, but that's reality for the Raiders. Putting the ball in the air is their best — and maybe only — hope.
“Not to talk about other teams, but other teams with really elite quarterbacks and throwing the ball 40 times doesn’t equal a win,” Pierce said. “So you want to find that balance, and for us, that’s what we’re still searching for.”
The Raiders (2-8), who have lost six straight, are searching for a lot of things on offense. They entered Monday ranked 30th in yards per game (285.0), last in rushing (75.2) and 25th in scoring (18.7 points).
Gardner Minshew remains the starting quarterback, and he didn't play poorly against the Dolphins. He completed 30 of his 43 passes for 282 yards and two touchdowns with an interception.
With the Dolphins taking away the deep threat, Minshew worked the underneath routes, particularly to tight end Brock Bowers, who caught 13 passes for 126 yards and a TD.
Throwing to Bowers makes a lot of strategic sense, and new interim offensive coordinator Scott Turner is trying to make the best of a bad situation.
No downfield attack. No running game.
That makes for a one-dimensional offense.
It's a tough formula for success, and the results bear that out. Maybe that will change at some point, but the season in its back half.
“We’re down, man,” Minshew said. “I’ve been on teams where you send it in, but we’re not doing that. We practice hard, dude. We come up, we show up and lift on Mondays. We haven’t been getting the results and we’ve been plays short, but I feel like we continue on our process, continue trying to get better. It’s going to break for us.”
Bowers is having a historically good season. He is the second rookie tight end to twice have at least 10 catches, joining Jeremy Shockey in 2002. His 13 catches against the Dolphins were the most by a first-year tight end since at least 1960.
Some good health on the defensive side. By the end of the defeat to Miami, the Raiders were down about half the defensive starters they took into the season — two linemen, three cornerbacks and a safety. Coaches like to talk about next man up, but there's a depth chart for a reason.
“That was no different than two weeks ago against Cincinnati, where we lose several O-linemen and we’re down to our eighth O-lineman,” Pierce said. “It’s just one of those things where I keep telling our staff, ‘Just keep coaching, man. Keep coaching younger guys.’”
Bowers. He is second in the NFL with 70 catches and his 706 yards receiving was ninth best going into Monday night.
The Raiders' defense couldn't get off the field. Las Vegas forced zero turnovers and zero punts, only the second time in franchise history that has occurred. The other time was in 1991 by the Los Angeles Raiders against Kansas City.
CB Nate Hobbs (ankle) didn't play against the Dolphins, and then the Raiders lost CBs Jack Jones (back) and Jakorian Bennett (shoulder). They also lost RBs Alexander Mattison (ankle) and Zamir White (quadriceps). Pierce didn't have any updates Monday.
10 — The Raiders are one of six teams in NFL history to trail by double digits in each of their first 10 games. The 1986 Colts were the most recent.
Las Vegas hosts AFC West rival Denver (6-5). This is the Raiders' only home game during a five-game, six-week stretch.
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Las Vegas Raiders head coach Antonio Pierce yells during the first half of an NFL football game against the Miami Dolphins, Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024, in Miami Gardens, Fla. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)
Las Vegas Raiders head coach Antonio Pierce talks to quarterback Gardner Minshew (15) during the first half of an NFL football game against the Miami Dolphins, Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024, in Miami Gardens, Fla. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)
Miami Dolphins safety Jevon Holland (8) grabs Las Vegas Raiders tight end Brock Bowers (89) during the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024, in Miami Gardens, Fla. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)
Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Gardner Minshew (15) aims a pass during the second half of an NFL football game against the Miami Dolphins, Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024, in Miami Gardens, Fla. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)
LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Los Angeles Rams realized last month that they needed to stack up victories against a few struggling opponents before their tough final stretch of the regular season.
They failed a week ago against the then-two-win Miami Dolphins, but they got it done Sunday against the three-win New England Patriots.
Coach Sean McVay sees every up and down, every inconsistent effort followed by encouraging improvement, as the price of progress as he tries to fashion one of the NFL's youngest rosters into a winner.
The coaching staff’s work is looking better and better now that the Rams (5-5) have followed up their 1-4 start to the season with a 4-1 stretch to stay firmly in the postseason hunt for another week.
“I’ve been pleased with our group’s ability to get themselves back into the fight,” McVay said Monday. “Winning four of five, there’s been different and unique ways that we’ve done it, but I think there is an element of learning how to be able to finish games and come away with the results you’re hunting up with the amount of youth that we have. They’re taking these lessons in stride, and some of the veteran players have done a good job.”
Chief among those veterans is Matthew Stafford, who still looks awfully sharp in his 16th NFL season. He threw four touchdown passes against the Patriots, giving him 10 in the past four weeks since Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua returned from injury.
“You’ve got to string wins together,” Stafford said. “That’s what you’ve got to do. You’ve got to try to build off momentum, things that you do positive, and find ways to get better at the things that maybe didn’t go your way in the game.”
Stafford went 18 of 27 for 295 yards and didn't even throw an interception, ending the risk-taking QB's six-game streak with a pick. He was also a primary reason why the Rams returned to effectiveness in the red zone, scoring on three of their four trips against New England after failing to get in the end zone at all against the Dolphins.
With Stafford, Nacua, Kupp and running back Kyren Williams allowed to work at peak effectiveness by their solid offensive line, the Rams look quite good, if not exactly formidable. McVay is hoping to see more of the same in the next two weeks before the stretch run toward the postseason.
The Rams' young defensive line continues to excel. Rookie tackle Braden Fiske had two sacks for the second time in three games, while nose tackle Kobie Turner racked up seven tackles and a fumble recovery after one of Fiske's sacks. A key penalty on Jared Verse aside, the group continues to be the defense's strength. “I've seen steady improvement as they've gained experience,” McVay said. “These guys are fun to be around. They're super-coachable. They've got an energy and an authenticity. They love to compete, and I think they're getting a lot better.”
The Rams' defense in total took a step back, surrendering 382 yards — 100 over the Pats' current average — and 22 points to one of the league's worst offenses. Allowing six third down conversions was a key to the issues. At least Los Angeles had two takeaways, including Kam Kinchens' clinching interception at midfield with 1:47 left.
Rookie center Beaux Limmer filled in during high-priced free agent signee Jonah Jackson's lengthy injury absence, but Limmer also got the job back Sunday in the second game after Jackson returned to uniform. “He's got better,” McVay said of Limmer. “We had so many injuries that he got a lot of opportunities that he might not have, and he's answered the bell. The game makes sense to him, he's really sturdy in his lower half, and I think he's done a good job in protection.”
Rookie Joshua Karty missed a 26-yard field-goal attempt, the shortest miss in the NFL this season. It was his third missed field goal in five weeks, along with a missed extra point. The Stanford product appears to be on thin ice with McVay, who punted rather than attempt a 52-yard field goal late in the game.
McVay said there's “a possibility” right tackle Rob Havenstein can return from the sprained ankle that has kept him out for two games. “He's trending in the right direction,” McVay added.
0 — The number of sacks taken by Stafford in the Rams' past three wins combined. He was sacked 10 times in the Rams' past three losses.
Philadelphia and its six-game winning streak will be a formidable challenge on Sunday night, but the Rams will have to beat some good teams to get to where they hope to be in January.
AP NFL: https://apnews.com/NFL
Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Cooper Kupp (10) is congratulated after his touchdown against the New England Patriots during the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024, in Foxborough, Mass. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)
Los Angeles Rams tight end Colby Parkinson (86) is congratulated after his touchdown against the New England Patriots during the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024, in Foxborough, Mass. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)
Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford throws under pressure during the second half of an NFL football game against the Los Angeles Rams, Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024, in Foxborough, Mass. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)
Los Angeles Rams tight end Colby Parkinson (86) is congratulated by Demarcus Robinson, center, after his touchdown against the New England Patriotsduring the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024, in Foxborough, Mass. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)
