The Las Vegas Raiders have been arguably the most disappointing team in the NFL so far this season. The Raiders, who ended up in the playoffs last season despite all the turmoil surrounding their team, made some big upgrades this offseason that were expected to make them a Super Bowl contender out of the AFC West. Instead, they have been one of the worst teams in the league, and are just 2-6 so far this season.
Not much has gone right for the Raiders this season. Their offense has continually scuffled this season, their defense cannot close out games, and their new head coach in Josh McDaniels is already on the verge of getting himself run out of town. Unless Las Vegas can figure things out, and fast, the Raiders are in some serious trouble moving forward.
The Raiders being 2-6 means that many of their players have struggled this season. And while that is true, there have also been players who have managed to stand out and make their mark on the team this season. With the first half of the season now in the rearview mirror, let's take a look at the two best and worst players on the Raiders through eight games.
Raiders best players
2. Davante Adams
Davante Adams was picked up in a trade with the Green Bay Packers this offseason, and his addition was a big reason the Raiders had such high hopes heading into the season. While the offense has largely faltered so far, Adams has managed to continue to produce as one of the best wide receivers in the league.
Adams' production has varied wildly in the first eight games, but the overall numbers are very strong (48 REC, 658 YDS, 7 TD). He may come in a tad behind his totals from the previous two seasons, but it's also worth noting Adams had been producing at an unbelievably high rate over that time. The Raiders offense is holding him back a bit, but Adams has proven that he doesn't need to be catching passes from Aaron Rodgers to be successful in the NFL.
1. Josh Jacobs
Josh Jacobs has emerged from the Raiders offensive mess to be easily their best player so far this season. Jacobs appears to be on his way to a career year, and he is already very close to surpassing his rushing yardage total from the 2021 season. If it weren't for Jacobs' contributions, the Raiders likely wouldn't have even won their two games this season.
Jacobs has taken a huge step forward so far this season on the ground (138 CAR, 743 YDS, 6 TD) while maintaining his value in the passing game as well (25 REC, 172 YDS). From Weeks 4-7 (the Raiders had their bye in Week 6) Jacobs totalled over 155 total yards and at least one touchdown in each of those three games. With Derek Carr struggling (more on that in a moment) Jacobs has made sure the offense will stay afloat, and it's resulted in a very impressive start to the season for him.
Raiders worst players
2. Chandler Jones
The Raiders finally found their partner in crime for star pass rusher Maxx Crosby this offseason when they signed Chandler Jones to a big money deal in free agency. The problem is that Jones has been arguably the worst free agent signing of the 2022 offseason, and he is in the process of putting together the worst season of his career.
Jones had made a name for himself as one of the most consistent pass-rushers in the game, as he had racked up at least 10.5 sacks in six of the past seven seasons. But so far this season, Jones has just 0.5 sacks, while also only getting 17 tackles, one tackle for a loss, and six QB hits. Considering the money the Raiders spent on Jones, he could reasonably earn the top spot on this list, and it will take a massive second half turnaround from Jones to justify the deal Las Vegas gave him last offseason.
1. Derek Carr
Considering how Derek Carr managed to lead the Raiders to the playoffs last season without much help around him, the expectations for him this season were huge to say the least. Instead, Carr has spent most of the 2022 season looking lost and confused under center, and as a result, he's been the Raiders worst player in the first half of the season.
Despite adding Adams to his pass-catcher crew, Carr has somehow taken a massive step back this season (170/273, 1880 YDS, 11 TD, 5 INT). Maybe he's struggling with picking up McDaniels offense, or maybe he's regressing early, but whatever the case is, Carr is costing the Raiders wins. This was supposed to be the season where Carr made the Raiders Super Bowl contenders; instead, he's been the face of the most disappointing team in the NFL so far.
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