Last week
Rams 35, Raiders 21
Allegiant Stadium, Las Vegas · Sun Oct 25 · Raiders 3–4, Rams 3–4
Ladies and gentlemen, from 3–0 to 3–4 in four Sundays. Efficient, at last.
Four straight losses (AP; Review-Journal). It was 28–6 at halftime (AP; Review-Journal). The home crowd booed its own team into the locker room (Review-Journal; Las Vegas Sun). The 3–0 start stays in the False Hope wing. The placard now says "on loan, permanently."
The play for the museum: a free short field, returned unopened
Third quarter, down 22. JJ Pegues punched the ball out of Kyren Williams' hands. Jeremy Chinn recovered. The Raiders took over at the Rams' 30 (Las Vegas Sun; therams.com). They left with nothing (Las Vegas Sun; therams.com). It was one of two fourth downs they failed to convert in Rams territory (AP; therams.com). The defense handed the offense a gift. The offense handed it back. Same building. Same box. No receipt.
Rams honor roll: Matthew Stafford, the Rams' all-time touchdown-pass leader
Three touchdown passes and 195 yards. That made 155 in a Rams uniform, one more than Roman Gabriel's franchise record (AP; therams.com). He set it in the Raiders' building, on the Raiders' defense. Honorable mentions: Puka Nacua, a Las Vegas native listed questionable with a calf injury, caught eight passes for 68 yards and a touchdown (AP; Las Vegas Sun). Davis Allen caught two touchdowns (AP; therams.com). Kyren Williams and Blake Corum ran for 192 yards and two scores between them (AP; therams.com).
Raiders exhibit of the week: the run game, 17 carries, 48 yards
The Rams ran for 199 (Review-Journal; Las Vegas Sun). The Raiders ran for 48 (Review-Journal; Las Vegas Sun). Ashton Jeanty had eight carries for 15 yards (Review-Journal; raiders.com). That is not a ground game. That is a rumor about one.
The nepo line: Klint Kubiak spent the week on third-quarter energy (Review-Journal; Las Vegas Sun). The third quarter finished 0–0 (AP; therams.com). The first half finished 28–6. His father won a Super Bowl. The son can fix one half at a time, and he picked the wrong one. The surname still hasn't covered a tight end.
Tom Brady, minority owner, majority mirage: Seven rings, a suite with a view, and a home crowd booing the product at halftime. The Brayders were sold as a culture. Turns out it was a logo with a press release. Tom, rings don't transfer. Neither does winning.
Raiders who scored points, ranked by how much it mattered (it didn't)
- Tre Tucker (6, 37-yd TD catch, Q4): Five catches, 103 yards (AP; Review-Journal). The touchdown came down 22, with the 2-point try failed after it (AP; raiders.com). Last week, a 44-yarder down 10 with 1:32 left. This week, a 37-yarder down 22. Tucker, you are the league's most punctual late arrival.
- Ashton Jeanty (6, 15-yd TD catch, Q4): Eight carries, 15 yards. Eight catches, 61 yards (Review-Journal). Jeanty, the running back's best run was a route. The end zone had to be delivered by air, like a package nobody signs for. That 2-point try failed too (AP; raiders.com).
- Matt Gay (9, FGs of 30, 27 and 36): (raiders.com; therams.com). The 27-yarder made it 28–6 as the half ended. The crowd answered with boos (Las Vegas Sun; Review-Journal). Gay, you were the Raiders' leading scorer in a 14-point loss. That is not a compliment. That is a box score.
Opposing-fan note (home game): No public report this week measured the Rams' share of the crowd, and this publication won't invent one. On record: Puka Nacua is a Las Vegas native (AP; Las Vegas Sun), and the loudest home-crowd verdict reported was the halftime boo (Review-Journal; Las Vegas Sun). The visitors didn't need to bring a crowd. The hosts supplied the hostility.
House read: Last week was delayed tragedy. This week skipped the delay.
Autopsy
The Rams went three-and-out on their first drive, then scored touchdowns on four straight possessions (therams.com; Las Vegas Sun): Allen from 3, Allen from 5, Nacua from 11, Williams on a 17-yard run (raiders.com; therams.com). Gay's field goals made it 28–6 at the half. Scoreless third quarter (AP; therams.com). In the fourth, Cousins hit Tucker for 37, Nakobe Dean picked off a deflected Stafford pass, and Cousins found Jeanty from 15 (therams.com; Review-Journal; Las Vegas Sun). Both 2-point tries failed. 28–18 (AP; raiders.com). Corum answered from 4 with 6:34 left (therams.com; Review-Journal). Cousins finished 26 of 44 for 295 yards (Review-Journal; Las Vegas Sun). Most of them arrived after the argument was over.