Las Vegas Raiders' run game reaches tragic low vs. Chiefs

HENDERSON, Nev. -- As they stroll the streets of Silver and Blackdom, reminiscing or running around, over and through opponents with aplomb, Marcus Allen and Bo Jackson are likely shaking their heads.

And why not?

Two of the best running backs in Las Vegas Raiders franchise history would have a hard time digesting the stat sheet from the Raiders' 27-20 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs at Allegiant Stadium.

Consider: Sunday the Raiders averaged 1.57 yards per carry, their lowest such average in a game since Week 11 of the 2016 season against the Houston Texans. Plus, it was the second time this season Las Vegas averaged less than 2 yards per rushing attempt in a game (they also did it in their Week 2 win at the Baltimore Ravens), while every other team in the NFL has done that a combined two times this season, per ESPN Research (the New York Giants averaged 1.1 yards per rush in Week 4 against the Dallas Cowboys while the Seattle Seahawks averaged 1.9 yards per rush Sunday against the Buffalo Bills).

"It was a good [Chiefs] defensive front up front [so we've] got to give, you know, props to those guys on the other side of the ball -- they did a good job," said Raiders running back Alexander Mattison, who rushed for 15 yards on 14 carries.

"We have to do better. And our execution, we have to do better schematically, however you look at it. So we'll look at tape, we'll see what went wrong, what could have went better. I've got to fight for extra yards, do things where I can try and get it going."

The Raiders are riding their first four-game losing streak since relocating to Las Vegas in 2020. They dropped four straight in Weeks 12-15 of the 2019 season, when they called Oakland home.

And in rushing for just 33 yards on 21 carries as a team against Kansas City, the Raiders could not take advantage of two prime opportunities.

The Raiders had the ball twice inside the Chiefs' 5-yard line and came away with just one field goal for their efforts.

"It goes back to ... trying to establish some physicality with our guys up front," coach Antonio Pierce said. "That's part of our identity and DNA that we've been harping on. We harped on it in training camp and we're going to continue to harp on it.

"Still a lot of game left. Not where we want to be at 2-6 ... but we'll go back to it."

The Raiders enjoyed success running the ball in three of their previous four games, rushing for 152 yards against the Cleveland Browns, 115 yards at the Denver Broncos and 122 yards last week at the Los Angeles Rams.

Pierce said having padded practices on Fridays was a step toward trying to re-establish that physicality two days before a game. Alas...

"Ball at the 3-yard line, you've got to punch it in, right?" Pierce said of the third-quarter series after safetyTre'von Moehrig's interception on a tipped Patrick Mahomes pass with Kansas City leading, 17-13.

Instead, the Raiders lost five yards on four runs, and, per ESPN Research, the team was contacted at or behind the line of scrimmage on each play. Nowhere to run, nowhere to hide.

"Last week we had the same opportunity and we threw it four straight times," Pierce said. "Trying to get it, we just got knocked back."

Indeed, the Chiefs simply suffocated the line of scrimmage against the Raiders.

Up next, a trip to the Cincinnati Bengals (3-5), who entered Sunday with only the NFL's No. 25-ranked rushing defense. Cincinnati is also 31st in defensive rushing success rate and EPA per rush, per ESPN Research.

"There's two sides of the story -- there's the playcall and there's execution, both of them have to be in alignment," Mattison said. "And there was a couple times where they weren't, and we just have to own up to it, take accountability, and make sure that we go out there and do a better job on the next drive, on the next play.

Now there's something with which Allen and Jackson would assuredly agree.