Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Geno Smith had a miserable game on Monday, against the L.A. Chargers. Smith threw three interceptions as Las Vegas lost, 20-9. Following the game, Smith made a promise about the future.
“I'm never going to make any excuses about anything,” Smith said, per ESPN. “I've got to be better. We've got to be better, and we've got a short week to improve on that.”
Smith never took his foot off the gas. The veteran gunslinger was aggressive in his throws, and never backed down from testing the Chargers secondary. It clearly didn't work out as well as he wanted.
“Those are things that I got to learn from and be better at,” Smith said. “Anything that doesn't look right out there, [I] put that on my shoulders. I feel like I got to be a lot better for our guys. I know I have to, and I will be.”
The Raiders are now 1-1 on the year, after the loss.
Raiders look for a resurgence with Geno Smith
Smith leads a Raiders team looking to become a power in the AFC. Las Vegas has struggled as a franchise, going back even to its days in Oakland. The Raiders have just a handful of playoff appearances in the last 20 years.
Las Vegas has a new head coach, in veteran and Super Bowl champion Pete Carroll. Carroll wasn't happy with how his team approached the passing game on Monday.
“I know that the picks are a big issue, but that's not my concern,” Carroll said. “My concern is why we didn't get the bulk thrown and caught underneath, and we wound up taking those shots.”
The Raiders also struggled to run the football on Monday. Las Vegas was held to just 68 rushing yards. The squad looks to improve when it next plays the Washington Commanders on Sunday.
