Raiders winners and losers in blowout defeat vs. Kansas City

The Raiders entered their Week 14 game against the Chiefs in desperate need of a win. But it didn’t take long before Las Vegas appeared desperate to get the heck out of Arrowhead Stadium to avoid further punishment.

The visiting team turned the ball over on the game’s first snap from scrimmage, with the play resulting in a Chiefs touchdown, and the rout was on from the start, ending in a 48-9 loss for the Raiders.

Here are this week’s winners and losers after an unforgettable shellacking at the hands of the division rival Chiefs, which put Las Vegas’ record at 6-7.

Winners

Malcolm Koonce

Yes, there were actually a couple of winners in this game, though each one comes with a dash of losing flavor.

Raiders rookie defensive end Malcolm Koonce notched a quarterback sack in the second half of this blowout, his second such play in two weeks.

Here’s the losers aspect: On a team with ample QB pressures but too few QB sacks as the season was falling apart, why wasn’t Koonce playing more in previous weeks? He’s had two in the only two games he’s appeared in as a pro.

At least Koonce is a promising prospect for whoever is in charge of the Raiders’ personnel in the years to come.

Clelin Ferrell

Defensive end Clelin Ferrell also recorded a QB sack, his first in more than a calendar year. He actually has a signature sack celebration, a simulated fishing move to make it look like he’s reeling in a fish, and he finally got to use it again.

Still, even on his big play, look how slow his feet are. It’s actually kind of incredible. As the former No. 4 pick in the NFL Draft, Ferrell is a decent player but represents all that’s gone wrong as the team tried to build a winner on the way to Las Vegas.

Alright, I was going to show a clip of the play, but it appears the Raiders’ official Twitter account deleted it. Incredible. That says it all about how poorly this game went for Las Vegas.

Losers

Josh Jacobs

After last week’s listless loss to Washington, running back Josh Jacobs said the offense needed to pick it up, in both temperament and play. But on the first snap of this game, Jacobs set a losing tone before many fans had even settled in.

His fumble, which led to an immedate Kansas City touchdown, came on a play when he had little blocking to speak of. But the play was inexcusable by any measure. The Chiefs were fired up from the start of this one though, and those that saw what the Raiders did before kickoff know exactly why.

Yannick Ngakoue

Raiders defensive end Yannick Ngakoue had a QB sack in this ballgame, but one stunt he pulled, along with many of his teammates, was as hollow and unproductive as they come.

He led many Raiders over to the Chiefs’ midfield logo before kickoff; in the NFL, that’s perceived as a sign of disrespect toward the home team. With the way this game unraveled so rapidly, with three turnovers in the first half that led to 21 Chiefs points, this is a terrible and embarrassing look.

Ngakoue is new to the Raiders, and this was his first time in Arrowhead Stadium as a member of the team. He learned quickly that it will take much more than hollow gestures to turn this lopsided rivalry around.

Brandon Parker/Alex Leatherwood

Once again, the right side of the Raiders offensive line wasn’t up to the task of protecting QB Derek Carr. Both Alex Leatherwood and Brandon Parker only provided mild resistance to a fierce Kansas City pass rush, taking turns being abused by defensive lineman Chris Jones and others.

And there’s not much more to say than that. Except that they were two of the largest reasons for the Raiders’ slow start, even after they had a chance to take a deep breath and regroup after Jacobs’ fumble. Against quality NFL defenders, they appear toothless.

Zay Jones/Bryan Edwards

In the offseason, wide receiver Bryan Edwards drew rave reviews, earning comparisons to some of the greatest big-bodied pass catchers the NFL has ever known.

His position mate, WR Zay Jones, has caught countless passes from Carr in Las Vegas parks during the offseason but has little NFL production to show for it. During a time when the Raiders need their wideouts to step up after the Henry Ruggs calamity, they failed to make an impact Sunday despite some minor statistical accomplishments.

They left all the work for WR Hunter Renfrow, who had a career day with 13 receptions for 113 yards and a touchdown, though Renfrow did have a first-half fumble when the Raiders were still technically in the game. We already know Renfrow is a winner, however. He needs his position mates to follow suit, whether it’s Jones and Edwards or new players next year.

In the end, another late-season collapse is in full swing for the Raiders. They have four games left to play, but it would be natural for everyone involved with the franchise, especially ownership, to start thinking about next season immediately after this memorable drubbing.