Sports

Pete Carroll: Chip Kelly tried to get the running game going, but we've got to score more

Raiders head coach Pete Carroll is not happy with his offense. Nor should he be, after Thursday night's 10-7 loss to the Broncos.

Carroll said after the game that offensive coordinator Chip Kelly (whom Carroll has previously criticized for not running the ball enough) was trying to get the ground game going but the Raiders' offense just couldn't get the job done.

"We're not scoring enough points," Carroll said. "That's about as obvious as you can get. . . . We've got to run the ball better . . . Chip was trying. He was staying with the running game to try to not let them tee off on us. We've got to score more."

The Raiders ran the ball for just 74 yards on 25 carries and gained only four first downs on the ground. Rookie running back Ashton Jeanty, who was supposed to transform the Raiders' running game when he was selected with the sixth overall pick in the draft, managed just 60 yards on 19 carries.

Through nine games, the Raiders rank 30th in the NFL with an average of 15.4 points per game.

Raiders right guard Jackson Powers-Johnson "out for a while" with ankle injury

Raiders right guard Jackson Powers-Johnson will miss time after he injured his ankle in the second quarter on Thursday night.

Coach Pete Carroll indicated after losing 10-7 to the Broncos that Powers-Johnson's injury was significant.

"He hurt his ankle, legit. I don't want to go into any of the details but he hurt his ankle. He'll be out for a while," Carroll said.

Powers-Johnson went down while blocking Denver's John Franklin-Myers and stayed down until he was helped off the field, taken to the medical tent and then carted to the locker room.

Powers-Johnson was a second-round pick of the Raiders last year and has quickly emerged as one of the NFL's best young interior linemen. He won the Rimington Trophy at Oregon as college football's best center, but has played guard with the Raiders.

Alex Cappa replaced Powers-Johnson at right guard and may need to stay there for a significant period of time, which is a big loss for the Raiders' offense.

In-form Broncos hold on to pip Raiders

Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix
The Broncos last reached a Super Bowl in 2015 [Getty Images]

The Denver Broncos ground out a narrow 10-7 win over the Las Vegas Raiders to maintain the best record in the NFL.

In a tight game, just three points scored in the whole second half but they were vital as Wil Lutz scored a 32-yard field goal to send the Broncos to an 8-2 record.

They had more penalties than first downs in a stop-start game at Mile High Stadium but are top of the AFC West after a seventh straight win.

Coach Sean Payton said his team can refine their style as they look to keep on winning games.

"We've got to clean up some of the penalties. We've got to clean up the execution and that is an ongoing thing that probably never ends," he said.

"You search for that Shangri-La. Right now, you know, we're sitting at eight wins. I think we're the only team sitting there."

The Broncos defence sacked Raiders quarterback Geno Smith six times and did not allow a first down in seven straight Raiders drives.

Las Vegas' last drive ended in a missed field goal which would have tied the game, as they fall to a 2-7 record.

Ashton Jeanty's four-yard touchdown put the visiting Raiders ahead, with Troy Franklin scoring an 11-yard touchdown to tie the game before Lutz won it.

More Articles …

  1. Raiders, Broncos each had more penalties than first downs
  2. Thursday Night Football: Broncos hold off Raiders 10-7
  3. Geno Smith leaves with an apparent leg injury
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