Losing streak reaches 5 for slumping Raiders

Cincinnati came into Sunday’s game just one game better record-wise than Las Vegas. It didn’t feel that way on the way out of another lopsided loss for the Raider franchise.

Las Vegas was dumped by Cincinnati, 41-24, Sunday, Nov. 3 from Paycor Stadium. It was the first home win for the Bengals in five tries while sending the Raiders to its fourth loss in five road games.

It’s also the team’s fourth loss of two touchdowns or more.

“That wasn’t a good enough effort,” head coach Antonio Pierce said. “The score tells you that, it probably looked like that the entire game except for probably the first quarter.”

That’s now five straight losses for Las Vegas. It’s the franchise’s longest losing streak since losing five in 2018 as part of a 4-12 season under former head coach Jon Gruden.

The Raiders are 2-7 overall as it sits in the basement of the AFC West. Additionally, the team’s 2-7 record is tied for the worst in the league.

Las Vegas now looks to regroup as it heads into its bye week.

“Today wasn’t a good day in the office,” Pierce said. “We have the bye week to look at everything. And when I say everything, [I mean] everything.”

Quarterback Joe Burrow dotted up the defense to the tune of a 15-for-15 start through the air. Later on the drive where he endured his first incomplete, he’d lead his guys down the go-ahead field goal in the second quarter. That gave the home team its first lead of the game.

Just before halftime, Burrow put up six points behind his second touchdown pass of the day. Moments before his scoring strike, defensive end Maxx Crosby was flagged for roughing the passer on a sack that would’ve made it 3rd and 16.

”I’ve got a whole week to figure that out,” Pierce said. “WE’ve got to do a better job as a staff. What were they today? Four for five at the start of the game in scoring and obviously, that wasn’t expected. High expectations for the defense and obviously we aren’t playing well enough.”

After throwing two touchdowns in the first half, Burrow would add three more in the second to tie his career-high of five. He scored early in the third quarter on the heels of a Raider fumble. That turnover counted as the team’s 18th of the year which leads the league.

Burrow’s final touchdown pass of the day put Cincy up, 38-17, after defensive back Jack Jones briefly cut it to 14 on a pick-six. He’d finish with 251 yards through the air on 27-of-39 passing with five touchdowns and one interception.

Las Vegas had no shot of putting up that kind of performance with opposing defensive end Trey Hendrickson playing in the backfield as much as he did. He recorded four sacks on the day and was a big reason for the eventual quarterback change.

The Raiders scored on a touchdown on their first possession of the game for the fourth time in the last five games. That opening drive was capped off by a one-yard touchdown run by running back Zamir White.

By halftime, the team had any momentum built on that early drive snatched from it by the building. It went 78 yards on the opening drive but would be held to just 70 on the next three first half drives.

“We’ve got to reset,” Pierce said. “It goes for all of us, it’s a group effort, it’s a team effort. We all have got to find a way to do better.”

Quarterback Gardner Minshew went 10-for-17 with 124 yards. He would be lifted from the game for the second time this season, this time in exchange for recently signed Desmond Ridder, who nearly fumbled the ball away on his second play from scrimmage.

”Just trying to get a spark for our offense,” Pierce said.

In his first game with the Silver & Black, Ridder went 11-for-16 with 74 passing yards and a touchdown.

“We didn’t get to see the athleticism until late,” Pierce said. “You see him move around the pocket, you see the strong arm — again, he’s 10 days into the building. I thought obviously, he’s competing.”

His touchdown pass went to rookie tight end Brock Bowers, who racked up 45 yards and a touchdown on five receptions. He had the most receptions in the league through the month of October with 32. No tight end has led the league in receptions since Tony Gonzalez did it back in 2004.

Las Vegas came into the game with five injuries. It would leave with five additional ones after offensive linemen Kolton Miller, Andrus Peat, Cody Whitehair, defensive back Nate Hobbs and tight end Harrison Bryant would all leave Sunday’s contest with ankle injuries and not return.