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Quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo made his triumphant return to the Las Vegas Raiders lineup, yet the franchise is likely worse off today despite the team’s 17-13 home victory against the Green Bay Packers on Monday.
At 2-3, the Raiders still sit behind the Kansas City Chiefs and Los Angeles Chargers in the AFC West. More importantly, the organization falls further away from a legitimate opportunity to make a real difference by eventually drafting a real difference-maker at the game’s most important position.
The Raiders are more mid than flying economy to visit the Vegas strip for a weekend.
So often, Garoppolo has been described as a “winner.” His lofty win-loss record is supposed to serve as some kind of mic drop. First, quarterback records aren’t a thing because wins are a team stat. Second, the 31-year-old veteran does a good job working within the framework of his offense, but he fails when it comes to anything beyond those parameters.
Yes, the Raiders emerged victorious from the primetime affair. An ugly win is still a win. At the same time, a macro view when looking from the top of the MSG Sphere indicates this isn’t a squad on the upswing.
Ultimately, the team isn’t a contender mainly because of its triggerman. Anytime Garoppolo was asked to make plays beyond the structure of the offense, he struggled. He’s a throwback pocket passer without the ability to create and elevate.
Even in the win, the Packers held a slight advantage in total yards and yards per play. If not for Jordan Love’s meltdown, including a game-sealing interception, Green Bay could have run away with this contest. Instead, the Raiders escaped thanks to the opposing quarterback’s three turnovers and minus-0.78 EPA per attempt, according to Sharp Football’s Warren Sharp.
Las Vegas Raiders linebacker Robert SpillaneCandice Ward/Getty Images
“The one pick that [Robert] Spillane picked off, he kind of threw it to him,” Packers head coach Matt LaFleur said of Love’s poor performance. “He’s got to see him and not make that decision. The other two, he was giving his guy a 50-50 opportunities down the field and their guy made the play.”
A week ago, excitement flowed through the Raiders fan base. Why? Rookie Aidan O’Connell was readying himself for his first professional start. Unsurprisingly, the first-year signal-caller struggled with three turnovers and seven sacks.
‘”Playing quarterback in our league starts with taking care of the football, whether that be hanging on to it in the pocket, or making good decisions in the passing game,” Raiders head coach Josh McDaniels told reporters. “And, also understanding the timing and that element of playing within the pocket in the NFL. It’s not always the same week-to-week.
Typically, the backup quarterback, particularly younger options with potential, are heavily favored by those who support a squad. But the situation also shows where the Raiders’ setup currently stands.
Las Vegas Raiders rookie quarterback Aidan O’ConnellKatelyn Mulcahy/Getty Images
OK, O’Connell struggled when under a barrage of pressure. He didn’t process quickly enough and needed to take care of the football. Garoppolo has been in the league 10 years and threw a pass directly to the Packers’ Rudy Ford for an interception. In fact, Garoppolo has thrown at least one interception in every game this season. His seven interceptions lead the league. He also stood in the pocket and crumpled under pressure multiple times.
What do the Raiders see in their incumbent that truly frames him as a franchise quarterback?
Instead, Garoppolo should be viewed for what he really is. He’s a placeholder, whether it’s for O’Connell or a future draft pick. He’s not the long-term solution. By winning Monday’s contest, the Raiders are simply delaying the inevitable.
The latest outcome serves as a calming salve that doesn’t actually heal the problem areas. Entering Monday’s contest, questions arose about usage of the team’s star players.
Last week, running back Josh Jacobs expressed his frustration with the team’s “undisciplined” approach. Wide receiver Davante Adams played the “I can only do so much” card as well. Even with a concerted effort to get both the ball, Jacobs ran for 69 yards and Adams caught only four passes for 45 yards against his old team. This offense is like trying to run an F1 race with restrictor plates.
Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Davante AdamsCooper Neill/Getty Images
While no team will ever enter a contest with the intent to lose—nor should it—the Raiders would have been better off had they lost.
Had the Raiders emerged with a 1-4 record, they’d currently be sitting in a spot where USC’s Caleb Williams or North Carolina’s Drake Maye would be in play thanks to a top-five draft pick. Instead, they’re still fighting for something that isn’t probable, which is a postseason appearance.
Meanwhile, the team is now further away from an opportunity to make a truly franchise-altering choice. The Raiders can release Garoppolo after this season, use a June 1 designation and save $13 million toward the 2024 salary cap, according to Over The Cap.
A better current scenario is playing O’Connell. He provides enough upside that if he plays well the organization can build around the 25-year-old. If he struggles, the Raiders will be better positioned to take a true top-end quarterback prospect—which the team hasn’t had a chance to do since it selected Jamarcus Russell No. 1 overall in the ’07 class.
Las Vegas’ schedule could create a false sense of security with the New England Patriots and Chicago Bears next on the docket. Even if McDaniels squad wins both, it’s still going to be one-game over .500 and staring down the likes of Detroit Lions, Miami Dolphins and Kansas City Chiefs in three of the following five games.
Does anyone actually expect Garoppolo to outplay Patrick Mahomes, Tua Tagovailoa, Jared Goff or maybe even Justin Fields? The answer is no, which provides all anyone needs to know about where the Raiders sit among the NFL’s hierarchy.
“The way that we compete, we always give ourselves a chance,” McDaniels said after the team. “We fought hard on defense and we came out with a big win.”
The quote is indicative of two things. First, the Raiders must struggle for each and every outcome because they’re not good enough to control a game. Second, McDaniels made sure to credit his defense, because that’s where the real difference has been made.
In the end, the Raiders will almost certainly be left wondering what went wrong yet again and trying to talk themselves into a situation at quarterback that’s less than ideal instead of making the chess moves necessary to truly elevate the franchise.
Brent Sobleski covers the NFL for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter, @brentsobleski.
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