‘I’m a little worried… he just stares it down’ – Raiders analyst delivers brutal verdict on Geno Smith after three-interception nightmare in heartbreaking 25-24 loss to Bears… as fans fear veteran QB could drag season into disaster - suong
The Las Vegas Raiders fell in heartbreaking fashion to the Chicago Bears as a blocked field goal sealed the 25-24 win for the visitors on September 28 at Allegiant Stadium.
It was a disaster game for Geno Smith, who went 14-for-21 on his pass attempts for 117 passing yards, two touchdowns, and three interceptions.
As a result, the Raiders’ radio color analyst Kirk Morrison stated that he’s concerned with
“I’m a little worried because it was a similar coverage in which he was getting intercepted on,”
“All he did was watch the eyes of Geno Smith. I talked about it earlier, the Raiders have to convert on first and second down. When I say first and second down conversions, I love when they’re in a third and short, the third and mediums, because it allows Geno Smith to get rid of the ball quickly.
“When Geno gets in the 3rd and 8, 3rd and 9-plus, he holds on to the football to allow those plays to develop. He stares it down. And in those two interceptions by Byard,
Do the Raiders Need to Bench Geno Smith?
Despite throwing three interceptions and turning the ball over in recent weeks, Morrison doesn’t believe that the Silver and Black should bench Smith and turn to backup Kenny Pickett.
“Geno wants to do the right thing, and I get it, but sometimes the best play is getting to the next down, and that’s what he has to work on,” Morrison added. “There’s no quarterback situation. Do you sit him? Do you bench him? No. I think you have to work through this. And this is only four games in.
“I hate the hole that the Raiders are in at one and three, but there’s still some room for improvement. And I’ll tell you, Geno Smith is going to be the first guy to say, I have to be better because of what you mentioned. The running game was excellent. I thought a lot of guys did their part, and Geno Smith didn’t do his part.”
The Raiders Are In a Serious Hole
After starting the season with a Week 1 win, Las Vegas have lost three games in a row and now will have to head on the road at 1-3 to face an Indianapolis Colts team coming off a loss in Week 4. As a result, they’ll be motivated to get a bounce-back win.
Smith will also look to bounce back, but it will be interesting to see if head coach Pete Carroll won’t be quick to change at quarterback if the veteran continues to turn the ball over.
‘It’s going to cost them…’ NFL announces punishment for two Las Vegas Raiders stars after costly mistakes in bruising Week 3 clash… heavy fines revealed in official league report as fans left stunned by what came next… - suong
Two Las Vegas Raiders players, Isaiah Pola-Mao and Devin White, face fines after the NFL announced penalties. It was a tough outing for the Silver and Black in Week 3 against the Washington Commanders, and both players made mistakes that proved costly to them financially.
On September 27, the NFL published its weekly Gameday Accountability report. Created in agreement with the NFL Players Association, the report highlights game-related rule violations that may result in accountability measures, aiming to protect players and preserve both competitive balance and the integrity of the game.
Pola-Mao received the larger fine of the two Raiders players. The 26-year-old was fined for unnecessary roughness during a first-quarter play against the Commanders at the 5:01 mark, when he used his helmet. As a result, the NFL has fined Pola-Mao $17,278 for the incident.
As for White, the unnecessary roughness play that he was fined for came in the fourth quarter at the 11:31 mark after he gave a hip drop tackle. Because of this incident, the NFL fined the 27-year-old $6,500.
Raiders Defenders Will Need to Move Forward
Pola-Mao and White will have to put these issues behind them as the Raiders defense need these two playing at the top of their game against the Chicago Bears.
Raiders defensive lineman Thomas Booker IV will be looking to help slow down Williams and the Bears. Furthermore, he explained what the defense needs to do to give the team the best chance to win.
“I think [Williams is] starting to kind of figure it out—when he should stay in the pocket and when he should get out of there,” Booker told reporters on September 24
“In terms of being improvisational and scrambling, he can really make plays on the move. For us, it’s about containing him and creating as many opportunities as possible to keep him in the pocket, so he doesn’t get out and run wild. That’s what we’ll be focusing on this week.”
Bears QB Caleb Williams Has the Raiders Defense on Alert
Booker isn’t the only one aware of what Williams brings against a defense. Raiders head coach Pete Carroll is praising the quarterback as well, noting he’s been following him closely since his USC days.
“I did watch him a lot [at USC] and had a chance to check him out,” Carroll told reporters on September 24. “He’s a very, very special athlete and
“They have a really nice system. You can see it already coming through. [Ben Johnson] is doing a nice job teaching these guys what he believes is important in offense. You can see that there are a lot of changes from last year. Caleb can do whatever you want him to do, so he’s a very dangerous player to play against.”
