The Las Vegas Raiders entered their Week 6 matchup against the Buffalo Bills looking to move past a challenging past two weeks. The start of the game felt much like the Raiders' first three games of the season, where they did their best to make it a dogfight for Josh Allen and the Bills.
Much of the first half went at a pace that fits the Raiders. The slow-paced first half was just what the Raiders needed to stay competitive long enough to give themselves a chance to win. It was far from pretty, but even with a loss, the Raiders' progress is undeniable. So is their need for more progress.
Unlike their Week 5 matchup against the New England Patriots, the Raiders were competitive early. Early against the Bills, Las Vegas looked much more like the team that started the season 3-0 than the team that entered on a two-game losing streak.
Below are a few takeaways from the Raiders' Week 6 outing against the Bills.
Raiders' Defensive Adjustments/Young Defensive Backfield's Growth
In recent seasons, one of the most frustrating things to watch was the Raiders continuing to do things that were not working on the field. Week after week, recent Raiders teams showed an inability to make adjustments, let alone execute them.
The Bills had to call two timeouts within the first few minutes of the game while on offense. The stadium was far from loud, so noise was not what made Buffalo use two timeouts early in the game. The Bills likely responded to unexpected adjustments by Las Vegas' defense.
Las Vegas lost the game, but for the first time in three weeks, the Raiders' defense did not give up big plays in the first half that made it hard for their struggling offense to overcome. It did not amount to a win, but the Raiders' defensive adjustments kept them within striking distance of a hot Bills offense.
The Raiders' 3-0 start may have blurred the perception some have of the team. However, they are six games into a rebuild that will take multiple seasons to complete. They are also in the middle of a challenging stretch against the top teams in the league.
The Difference Nailor Makes
It may not have seemed like a big deal against the Patriots, but the Raiders' offense missed Nailor. The veteran wide receiver would not have helped the Raiders perform better in Week 5. However, his return helped open things up for the unit.
A loss is a loss, but Nailor's return at least gave the Raiders' offense a fighting chance against the Bills. It is fair to assume that Jack Bech's return could help the unit a little more as well.
Return of the Play-Action Pass
The inability to run the ball in recent weeks led to a decline in how much Las Vegas used the play-action pass. This kept the Bills' defense much more honest than it did the Kansas City Chiefs' and Patriots' defenses in recent weeks.
Las Vegas still did not rush for many yards. Yet the offense moved much more smoothly, even with the smallest threat of a potential run out of the backfield. Early in the season, Las Vegas' coaching staff ran play action regardless of how well they ran the ball. They got back to it on Sunday.
They went back to that approach against the Bills, and it quietly kept the Bills' defense off balance enough for Las Vegas' offense to move down the field and score enough points to give themselves a chance entering the second half.
Lack of Complementary Football
For the third consecutive week, Las Vegas failed to play complementary football. None of their three units performed well against the Patriots. However, against the Chiefs and the Bills, Las Vegas' defense did their part, holding two high-powered offenses to low scores through three quarters.
Through three quarters, Las Vegas' defense repeatedly held the Bills to field goals, and within striking distance. Meanwhile, Las Vegas' offense struggled to score points, settling for field goals while the Bills. Sunday was another case of the Raiders playing solid defense and struggling on offense.
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