Mark Raimondi
Paul Gutierrez
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Paul Gutierrez
ESPN Staff Writer
- Paul Gutierrez joined NFL Nation in 2013 as a Las Vegas Raiders reporter. He serves on multiple platforms – writing on ESPN.com, appearing on NFL Live and SportsCenter, and appearing on podcasts and radio. Prior to joining ESPN, Gutierrez spent more than three years as a platform reporter for CSN in the Bay Area, covering the Raiders and Oakland Athletics and anchoring the SportsNet Central cable news show. Gutierrez is a vote for the Baseball Hall of Fame, a member of the Pro Football Writers Association of America, and currently serves as president of the PFWA Las Vegas Chapter. He is also a member of the California Chicano News Media Association and the National Association of Hispanic Journalists. Gutierrez has authored three books: Tommy Davis’s story in the Dodgers dugout, 100 things strategy fans should know and do before they dieand ifThese walls can talk: Stories from the Raiders’ sideline, locker room and press boxWith Lincoln Kennedy. You can follow Paul on Twitter @PGutierrezESPN
LAS VEGAS — Bijan Robinson led the way down the field and the Atlanta Falcons led KhaDarel Hodge to a 15- 9. A crushing loss to the Las Vegas Raiders.
Robinson rushed for 125 yards on 22 carries. His performance on the field made up for the continued struggles of quarterback Kirk Cousins, who went 11-of-17 for 112 yards, a touchdown pass and an interception. Cousins ​​found wide receiver Drake London for a 30-yard touchdown pass in the first quarter.
Hodge completed a blocked punt and another on a slant, helping the Falcons gain field position that was much needed in a game that looked like it was yesterday. Charger DeAngelo Malone had two sacks and safety Justin Simmons had an interception as the Falcons earned their first safety of the season.
The Falcons (7-7) snapped a four-game losing streak and got back to .500. With seven wins, they tied their win total over the past three seasons with three games remaining. Atlanta remains in playoff contention.
This is good news.
The bad news is that during that slide, the Falcons went from a 6-3 record and a 4-0 conference record, missing out on the NFC South, to barely missing out on the NFC South. Even with a low-scoring win over the miserable Raiders, fans won’t have much confidence in how this team will perform the rest of the way, especially considering the team above them in the standings is red-hot Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
The biggest question going forward remains Cousins. He has nine interceptions and just one touchdown pass in his past five games. The Falcons limited him as much as possible in their offensive game plan Monday night, but that’s not a long-term or even short-term solution. This isn’t the result of Atlanta spending $180 million over four years in the offseason.
Two words: An expert’s dream. The Falcons got a blocked punt and a slanted punt from Hodge, Kevin King blocked the extra point and punter Bradley Pinion The Raiders were held inside the 10-yard line four times, including twice inside the 5-yard line in low-scoring, field position battles.
Disturbing trends: The Falcons’ strategy seems to be to limit Cousins’ pass attempts as much as possible. He didn’t pass the ball on any possessions in the first half, the first time in his career. That might be good for the Raiders, but it doesn’t solve Cousins’ problem.
Key gameplay: Cousins ​​found London for a 30-yard touchdown pass in the first quarter, which was basically all the Falcons needed. It was the longest touchdown catch of London’s career. He has now had five consecutive prime-time touchdown catches, tying the longest streak in a decade. ——Mark Raimondi
Next game: vs. New York Giants (1 p.m. ET, Sunday, Fox)
The Raiders lost their 10th straight game, their longest losing streak since going 0-10 to start the 2014 season, and remain in contention for the top two draft picks.
The loss to the Falcons tied Las Vegas with the Giants for the NFL’s worst record. The Raiders will play the Jacksonville Jaguars (3-11) in a first-overall elimination game on Sunday.
Already decimated by injuries — the Raiders lost two of their top quarterbacks as well as Pro Bowl edge rusher Max Crosby — Las Vegas also suffered an ankle injury in the second quarter. And lost new starting running back Zinsel McCormick.
Most surprising performance: The defensive front, which was missing Crosby, had three sacks. Undrafted rookie defensive tackle Jonah Laulu was sacked for the first time in his career, while fellow defensive tackle Adam Butler was sacked for the 3.5th time this season, last year. First-round pick defensive end Tyree Wilson was fired for the fourth time in 2024.
Prediction for next week: The ultra-conservative offensive game plan showed little trust in third-string quarterback Desmond Ridder, who joined the team on Oct. 22. So why not play undrafted rookie quarterback Carter Bradley, who has been in Las Vegas since April, against the Jaguars? , just to see what he has? Especially if Aidan O’Connell is sidelined again with a bone injury in his left knee.
QB breakdown: At one point late in the second quarter, Reed had nearly as many rushing yards as passing yards. He completed 23 of 29 passes for 208 yards, including one touchdown and two interceptions. Midway through the fourth quarter, he was 0-for-6 with an interception on passes of at least 15 yards downfield, according to ESPN Research.
Key gameplay: Running back Alexander Mattison’s first pass breakup since Las Vegas’ first possession on Nov. 17 ended with running back Ameer Abdullah at the Raiders 5-yard line. Nei calls for a fair catch. Mattison’s turnover didn’t lead to Atlanta scoring immediately on what was then a scoreless game, but it did set the tone. Abdullah picked off two kickoffs and Mattison made a safety in the end zone to give the Falcons a 9-3 lead. ——Paul Gutierrez
next game: vs. Jaguars (4:25 p.m. ET, Sunday, CBS)
