Graney: Same ol’ Raiders? Sure looked like it in loss to Commanders

LANDOVER, Md. — It’s only Week 3, but the Raiders need to stop and reassess some things.

This was awful.

You don’t want one forgettable performance to spill into another.

You don’t want to become the Raiders of the past.

Because that’s sure how things looked Sunday.

There wasn’t much good that came of a 41-24 loss to the Commanders at Northwest Stadium. Won’t be much on film to applaud. A lot to cringe at, though.

The Raiders were badly outplayed in all three phases, and some of it was things of folly.

They were confident about bouncing back from a “Monday Night Football” loss to the Chargers and taking care of business against a backup quarterback. But the opposite occurred.

Same ol’ Raiders?

Sure seemed like it.

What’s the standard?

“Absolutely not,” defensive end Maxx Crosby said. “We’re focused on winning games. … We just didn’t play well enough. It’s not our standard.”

That’s an interesting point, because the Raiders have looked nothing like a competent team in two of their three games.

So what is the standard? What is expected of a group that was so overmatched Sunday?

Is it even capable of reaching whatever that happens to be?

If so, the Raiders need to get a whole lot better in a whole lot of areas and fast.

“I have to do a better job,” coach Pete Carroll said. “Guys were trying. We stayed with it. I’m disappointed in myself that I didn’t see it coming.”

How could he not, especially with what continues to happen offensively.

Look. It’s not as if his team’s offensive line just now became inept. It has been since before Carroll arrived, which brings us back to why the organization didn’t address the issue more seriously in the offseason. This is what you get for not doing so.

This is the result of merely hoping things might improve.

They never have.

It means there is no balance, that a solid defensive front such as the Commanders’ can have its way and spend all afternoon in the Raiders’ backfield. It makes Carroll’s team so much easier to defend.

It’s like beating your head against the proverbial wall. The Raiders spent the No. 6 overall draft pick on a running back (Ashton Jeanty) and haven’t been able to get him going, mostly because those in front of him haven’t been good enough.

Jeanty went for 63 yards Sunday when quarterback Geno Smith wasn’t running for his life. But there is no consistency. No way to count on any level of a productive run game.

And that will lead to more losses.

Nobody — OK, other than wide receiver Tre Tucker and his three touchdown catches — was much good Sunday. The defense gave up far too many big plays and didn’t tackle well. Special teams was a complete failure. The coaching and preparation lacked immensely.

It didn’t matter that Marcus Mariota was playing quarterback for the Commanders. Not in the least. The Raiders weren’t stopping anyone on this day.

Funny. The next three games are home to Chicago, at Indianapolis and home to Tennessee. Ones the Raiders, if they actually have it in them to reach whatever standard Crosby speaks of, should have a chance at winning.

No pointing fingers

But this team wasn’t ready to play Sunday. That’s bad. And they have a major issue that isn’t going away on offense.

This looked a lot like the team of recent seasons.

Same ol’ Raiders?

They better hope not.

“Nothing is going sideways,” Smith said. “It’s Week 3 of the NFL, and we have a long season ahead of us. You want to win every game, but that’s not reality. There is no separation here. No one is pointing fingers. I believe in the guys we have. I know we can get this thing headed in the right direction.”

They’re chasing a standard.

But is it too high of one?

They don’t believe so.

Sunday might have suggested otherwise.

Was this a one-off or something that will linger?

We’ll see. Home to face the Bears can’t come soon enough.

Ed Graney, a Sigma Delta Chi Award winner for sports column writing, can be reached at egraney@reviewjournal.com. He can be heard on “The Press Box,” ESPN Radio 100.9 FM and 1100 AM, from 7 to 10 a.m. Monday through Friday. Follow @edgraney on X.