Raiders rewind: What went wrong in ugly Commanders loss?

The Raiders were hoping for a bounceback performance Sunday when they visited Washington to take on former backup quarterback Marcus Mariota and the Commanders.

Instead, they got roughed up in an ugly 41-24 loss that produced far more questions about the team’s outlook than answers.

Here is a closer look at what went down:

Putting it into perspective

There’s no way to categorize what happened Sunday as anything other than a complete and total disappointment for the Raiders (1-2).

They were beaten on offense and defense and their typically reliable special teams unit was a mess. The Raiders, simply put, laid an egg.

Two of the team’s next three games are at home against the Bears (1-2) and Titans (0-3). The Raiders need to play with a sense of urgency in those matchups to get their season straightened out.

Star of the game

There may never have been an easier call.

Wide receiver Tre Tucker had a career day despite the defeat, hauling in eight passes for 145 yards and three touchdowns.

Tucker’s strong performance was about more than just his production, however. It was about the way the 2023 third-round pick got open and made himself a target.

His first touchdown was a good example. Tucker was running a drag route, but drifted upfield as quarterback Geno Smith scrambled to his right. Tucker found open space, gave Smith an option and the result was a touchdown.

Tucker made a similar play when Smith was under duress on a third-and-1 in the second quarter. He worked his way back toward his quarterback, which led to a completion for a first down.

Tucker, 24, had a tremendous offseason, and that work is now paying off.

Play of the game

This could go to Tucker’s 61-yard touchdown catch in the fourth quarter. But the Raiders’ first offensive play is also worth examining.

Offensive coordinator Chip Kelly chose to open the game with a play-action pass. The entire offense faked a run to the left while Smith rolled out to his right.

The misdirection pulled Washington’s linebackers and defensive backs out of position and freed up wide receiver Jakobi Meyers for a 45-yard gain.

The Raiders went back to play-action to begin their next drive, but Smith was sacked. They ran the ball on first down seven straight times after that. They gained three yards or less on four of those carries.

Kelly and coach Pete Carroll may have been too spooked after the sack and tried too hard to establish the run.

Drive of the game

The Raiders, after a slow start in all three phases, went 80 yards in nine plays to tie the game 10-10 with 4:20 remaining in the first half.

Tucker’s third-and-1 catch was on this drive. Rookie running back Ashton Jeanty exploded for 16 yards on the next play thanks to strong blocks from left tackle Kolton Miller, left guard Dylan Parham and tight ends Ian Thomas and Brock Bowers.

Tucker later picked up another first down with a 17-yard catch on second-and-14. Jeanty responded again with a strong run, this time for 11 yards. Tucker’s first touchdown came two plays later.

It was an impressive possession for the Raiders to get themselves on level terms. Unfortunately for them, the Commanders scored twice before halftime to take a 20-10 lead into the break.

What were they thinking?

Defensive end Malcolm Koonce’s facemask penalty late in the first half was devastating for the Raiders.

Washington was facing a third-and-1 from its own 44-yard line with 14 seconds left in the second quarter and no timeouts. Mariota ran to his left, but his options were limited. Koonce still reached out as Mariota darted past him and earned a 15-yard penalty that also stopped the clock.

The Commanders kicked a field goal two plays later to take a two-score lead into the locker room.

Observations

■ There was plenty of blame to go around for the Raiders’ issues on punt and kickoff return coverage. Wide receiver Deebo Samuel returned the opening kickoff 69 yards for Washington, in part because second-year running back Dylan Laube got bumped out of his coverage lane. Rookie cornerback Darien Porter, who has been off to a strong start as a gunner, was jammed by two defenders at the line of scrimmage and couldn’t recover on wide receiver Jaylin Lane’s 90-yard punt return touchdown in the third quarter. It was a rough day for both units.

■ Bowers, who suffered a knee injury in Week 1, still doesn’t look like himself. He finished with four catches for 38 yards against the Commanders, but lacked his usual explosiveness.

■ Porter got playing time on defense for the first time Sunday. He replaced cornerback Kyu Blu Kelly for the Raiders’ final 16 defensive plays and acquitted himself pretty well. It will be interesting to see if that’s a more permanent switch or if the team was just giving the third-round pick a look. Carroll seemed to be frustrated that Kelly got beat by wide receiver Terry McLaurin over the top for a 56-yard gain in the third quarter.

“(Kelly) got whipped on that one,” Carroll said. “That was a really nice play by them and all, but we should have had a chance to stay on top. That was at a time in the game when that’s what they’re going to do and unfortunately, we didn’t take care of that. (Cornerback Eric) Stokes played really well again, and it was great to get Darien out there. It was the clear opportunity to throw him out, and he made a couple tackles and looked comfortable in coverage and did like he’s been doing in practice. So, those guys are developing. We’ve got to make sure we’re staying on top. Easy plays are just — they’re killers.”

■ Rookie wide receiver Jack Bech received a season-high 16 snaps. He only got one target, but he made the most of it. The second-round pick worked to the sideline right at the sticks and kept both feet inbounds for a 10-yard reception and a first down. That type of play should earn Bech more reps.

■ The Raiders didn’t exactly tush push, but they converted a pair of fourth-and-1s on sneaks by Smith. They tried something new on their third fourth-and-1 and it didn’t work out. Kelly elected to give the ball to Laube, but he was stopped for no gain.

Looking ahead

The Raiders return home in Week 4 for their first Sunday afternoon game at Allegiant Stadium against the Bears. Chicago is coming off an impressive 31-14 win over the Cowboys, its first under coach Ben Johnson. Second-year quarterback Caleb Williams completed 19 of his 28 passes for 298 yards for four touchdowns and no interceptions in the victory.

Contact Adam Hill at ahill@reviewjournal.com. Follow @AdamHillLVRJ on X.