With the Turners slated to take over the offense, Las Vegas rolling the dice as eyes shift to future; NFL Draft positioning
With a much-needed bye week in the rear view mirror, the Las Vegas Raiders embark on the back half of their 2024 slate. Optimism isn’t high as the Silver & Black attempt a course correct, however.
Scott Turner takes over the play calling reins as the interim offensive coordinator (promoted from his pass game coordinator role) and his father Norv Turner (a former Raiders head coach himself, and longtime play caller) joins him in a senior advisor role. Veteran coach Joe Philbin is now the interim offensive line coach, too.
Then there’s the reported locker room unrest Las Vegas dealt with, as well — showcasing even in a hiatus week, things aren’t dull for the Raiders.
Thus, this week’s NFL power rankings showcase the Silver & Black either at the bottom or near the cellar of the league.
The Ringer
32. Las Vegas Raiders
Last week: 32
If you’re a glutton for punishment and somehow depressing football, the back half of the Raiders’ season just might be for you! The rest of the schedule is rife/ripe with potential tanking opportunities. They’ll face the Dolphins in their first game after the bye, and two of their last three games are against the Jaguars and Saints, teams that will also be in the mix for the no. 1 pick in the draft. Recently, the flaws of several of the top quarterback prospects in college football have been revealed, which makes it even more important for quarterback-needy teams like the Raiders to play this right and wind up with as high a pick as possible.
On this team’s road to the offseason, I’ll be watching how they handle the coaching situation. It’s probably in the Raiders’ best interest to get in the market for a new head coach as early as possible, but there isn’t any public momentum behind firing Antonio Pierce as of yet. Still, with no end in sight to his team’s current five-game slide, I can’t imagine he’ll hold this position much longer.
The tank talk is deep within the Ringer when it comes to the Silver & Black — and for good reason. As the outfit notes: The Raiders are a quarterback needy team and with several other teams potentially seeking a future face of the franchise in the 2025 NFL Draft, Las Vegas will need the highest pick it can garner.
Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images
NFL.com
31. Las Vegas Raiders
Last week: 31
Weeks after dealing Davante Adams to the Jets, the Raiders stood pat at the trade deadline, refraining from parting with any more assets. They offset that quiet with a headline-grabbing move, firing offensive coordinator Luke Getsy going into their Week 10 bye. Changes have to come on that side of the ball, even if the team is just covering the mess with window dressing until the offseason. The promotion of Scott Turner — who led top-12 rushing offenses in two of his three seasons as OC in Washington — in Getsy’s place could indicate Las Vegas wants to get back to more of a power run game, which would be a better fit for Zamir White. The quarterback situation is not pretty, but the only sensible move, from a long-term perspective, is to see what Aidan O’Connell can do once he’s healthy. He’s the only homegrown QB talent on the roster, and the Raiders figure to be in need of a new one this offseason until proven otherwise. After that, they should be trying to get the ball to Brock Bowers and Tre Tucker as much as possible and spend the remainder of their energies identifying the offensive linemen who fit the puzzle going forward.
Getting the ball as much as possible to rookie sensation Brock Bowers and speedy wide receiver Tre Tucker is ideal in theory and Las Vegas should focus on that. But we’ll see what Scott and Norv Turner have up their respective sleeves when the team heads to Florida to take on the Miami Dolphins this Sunday.
Bleacher Report
25. Las Vegas Raiders
Last week: 28
Pierce’s coaching is hardly the only problem facing the Raiders this year — or even the biggest one. The team is going to have to do something about a number of roster deficiencies, including arguably the worst quarterback situation in the NFL. But with each passing week, it becomes more and more obvious that Pierce isn’t the guy to lead this franchise long-term.
That players are voicing reservations is that much more damning. And if the losses keep stacking up, it’s entirely possible that Pierce won’t even make it to Black Monday. — Gary Davenport
Davenport brings up the unrest in the Raiders locker room and it’ll be interesting to see how the players react if losses keep stacking. The group eventually grew tired of former head coach Josh McDaniels’ ways as the team kept losing and, while reports note the players are backing Pierce and aren’t showing the same type of discontent, we’ll find out if there’s another Silver & Black mutiny on our hands.
Katie Stratman-Imagn Images
The Athletic
26. Las Vegas Raiders
Last week: 26
QB confidence rating: 2
How much influence will new Raiders minority owner Tom Brady have on which quarterback Las Vegas drafts in April? You’d think a lot. There seems to be little question the Raiders are going to be in the quarterback market. Current starting quarterback Gardner Minshew II, if he does in fact hang on to the starting job after the bye week, is 30th in EPA (minus-.11). After that, the depth chart is Desmond Ridder and Aidan O’Connell.
Another quarterback focused ranking that highlights the Las Vegas dilemma. Minshew is an unmitigated disaster as the starter and has been benched more than once. Ridder remains an enigma as does homegrown signal caller Aidan O’Connell. Again, the Raiders QB1 in 2025 is likely not even on the roster at this point.
ESPN
32. Las Vegas Raiders
Last week: 31
Non-QB MVP: Tight end Brock Bowers
A surprising pick by the Raiders at No. 13 overall — Las Vegas already had second-rounder Michael Mayer from 2023 and signed Harrison Bryant in free agency — Bowers has more than exceeded expectations. Without Davante Adams, Bowers’ 57 catches for 580 yards and two touchdowns lead the Raiders, and his receiving yardage tops all tight ends. He is more than a simple security blanket for quarterbacks Gardner Minshew, Desmond Ridder and Aidan O’Connell; he has been the Raiders’ best overall player. Period. — Paul Gutierrez
Without question, Bowers is the biggest highlight of the Raiders offense this season. The No. 13 overall pick was a home run selection by general manager Tom Telesco and the tight end is joined by impressive rookies Jackson Powers-Johnson (second round) and DJ Glaze (third round).