Detroit Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs (26) carries the football against the Las Vegas Raiders safety Tre’von Moehig (25) in second half at Ford Field in Detroit on Mon Oct 30, 2023 (AP News photo)

By Barbara Mason

The Las Vegas Raiders had numerous opportunities in their Monday night game against the Detroit Lions. They were unable to capitalize on any of them partially due to the lackluster game from Raiders quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo. He was sacked six times and had some heart-breaking misses in the 26-14 loss to Detroit.

Monday night the Las Vegas Raiders (3-5) took on the Detroit Lions (6-2) on the national stage. The Raiders are coming off a loss to the Chicago Bears 30-12. The Lions who have been having a great season got stomped last week by the Baltimore Ravens 38-6 in a real shocker both games on Sun Oct 22. Both of these teams were desperate to win this game and the Lions got back on the winning track. The Raiders wanted to even their season record but just couldn’t do it at Ford Field in Detroit.

Game recap: It was a very quiet first quarter and after the first 15 minutes the Lions had a 3-0 lead. The Raiders squandered a great opportunity to put points up on the board as the clock began to wind down on the first quarter. The Raider’s defense, who made some great plays in this game, forced a lion fumble deep in Detroit territory with 45 seconds left in the opening quarter.

Las Vegas did not take advantage of a great scoring opportunity when quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo threw an interception giving the ball right back to the Lions. This was his ninth interception of the season. He leads the league in interceptions, a distinction no quarterback want to entertain.

The Lions continued to extend their lead in the second quarter. They kicked two more field goals in the quarter, giving them a 9-0 lead but had not been able to find the end zone. The Raiders cut into Detroits lead with five minutes left in the half 9-7 and Las Vegas had some life. Josh Jacobs rushed for three yards and the touchdown. Two minutes later however, the Lions extinguished that life with their first touchdown of the game extending their lead 16-7 going into half time.

The Raiders got a great start in the early going of the third quarter. Marcus Peters intercepted the ball for a 75 yard return and the Raiders second touchdown of the day. The Lions were hanging onto a slim 16-14 lead. With three minutes left in the third quarter, the Lions pushed right back scoring their second touchdown of the game, now leading 23-14.

The opportunities that the Raiders had in this game were numerous. The fourth quarter was painful to watch. There was obvious lack of protection for Garoppolo in the second half. He was sacked 6 times and missed a wide open Davante Adams in the fourth quarter. Adams was visibly upset on the sidelines after that missed pass throwing his helmet in frustration.

It has been a tough go for the talented Adams who has not been targeted very much at all this season. That miss cost the Raiders the game; it nailed the coffin shut. The Lions had three turnovers in this game and despite that still won.

It was a terrible showing for Garoppolo passing 10 of 21 for 126 yards and one interception. He is overthrowing the ball with regularity. Defensive wonder Max Crosby had some great tackles but without much scoring going on it’s rather futile. There was only one offensive touchdown in the game for the Raiders, the second touchdown coming from a Las Vegas interception.

It’s hard to say where the Raiders go from here. The defense has had some great moments but the offense has struggled mightily and seem to look worse and worse as the season wears on. This team is no stranger to losing and it now seems to be ingrained. How a team breaks out of a mindset such as Las Vegas is currently experiencing is not easy.

The Raiders will travel home for a date next Sunday with another struggling team, the New York Giants. New York quarterback Daniel Jones has only had two touchdowns this season but was out of action with a neck injury that sidelined him for the past three games. His backup Tyrod Taylor started in those three games but he was injured in the third game with a rib cage injury. The Giants are dealing with a lot right now much as the Raiders are. Jones is expected to start in next Sunday’s game. Kickoff for this game is scheduled for Sunday at 1:25 PM.