Raiders rewind: Should Pierce have challenged potential touchdown?

The Raiders’ 32-13 loss to the Steelers at Allegiant Stadium on Sunday was like a bad sequel.

It looked a lot like the team’s 34-18 loss to the Broncos in Denver on Oct. 6. It was just somehow even worse.

A solid start for the Raiders went off the rails and by the end, both teams were just counting down the minutes until the game was over.

Here’s a closer look at what went wrong against Pittsburgh:

Putting it into perspective

The Raiders’ season appears to be spiraling after a second consecutive blowout loss.

The team has been decimated by injuries and dealing with off-field distractions, but in the end, it also just might not be any good.

The offense is far too inconsistent and gets stagnant for long stretches of time. A defense that was supposed to carry the team can’t tackle and rarely forces a turnover. Even the Raiders’ reliable special teams unit had a communications breakdown Sunday that led to a blocked punt.

There’s not much to be encouraged by at the moment.

Star of the game

Rookie tight end Brock Bowers was once again a standout.

He had nine catches for 71 yards despite dealing with increased defensive attention because of the absences of wide receivers Jakobi Meyers (ankle) and Davante Adams (hamstring), whose looming trade request was fulfilled Tuesday when he was moved to the Jets. It’s getting to the point where Bowers can be targeted even when he’s not open, and he’s open a lot.

Linebacker Divine Deablo deserves top billing this week, however.

He had six tackles and a sack while bringing stability to the middle of the field. The Raiders struggled in Deablo’s absence when he missed three games with an oblique injury.

He also brought a ton of energy. Deablo celebrated every big play and it was clear on tape that his teammates enjoyed having him back.

Play of the game

The Steelers started to pull away when linebacker Jeremiah Moon blocked a punt in the third quarter with his team up 12-7. It was the first blocked punt of AJ Cole’s career.

Coach Antonio Pierce said the play happened because of a Raiders’ miscommunication.

Safety Chris Smith II was in front of Cole but didn’t pick up Moon, who blew past the line of scrimmage at full speed and blocked the punt just as it left Cole’s foot.

Smith did stay with the play, however. He tracked down the loose ball and recovered it to prevent further disaster.

Drive of the game

The Raiders got off to a fast start on offense for the second consecutive week, but this time it was second-year quarterback Aidan O’Connell under center in his first start of the season.

The team’s scripted plays under offensive coordinator Luke Getsy appear to be working out quite well, even if the group’s adjustments leave something to be desired.

The Raiders, with so much attention being paid to Bowers, leaked out tight end Harrison Bryant for an 8-yard gain their first play to begin on a positive note. Running back Alexander Mattison picked up the first down the next snap with a 4-yard run.

Mattison was given the ball the following two plays as well. He gained 10 yards and another first down.

Bowers got his first target the next play and picked up 10 yards despite having Steelers cornerback Joey Porter Jr. draped all over him. Bowers was rewarded with another touch the next play, taking a swing pass for a gain of eight.

Mattison followed that up with a run for nine yards and then took a pass in the right flat for 19 yards and almost scored. He got stuffed at the line the next play, but then ran into the end zone for a 3-yard touchdown.

Mattison’s run completed a 10-play, 70-yard touchdown drive for the Raiders in which they never faced a third down. It was an impressive possession. The only problem was the Raiders didn’t pick up a first down their next two drives and didn’t score again until there was 4:54 left in the fourth quarter.

Wide receiver Kristian Wilkerson’s 9-yard touchdown reception could only cut the team’s deficit to 29-13 at that point.

What were they thinking?

Many fans were furious when Pierce elected not to challenge what looked like a rushing touchdown by running back Ameer Abdullah at the beginning of the fourth quarter.

That decision became magnified when Abdullah fumbled the next play and the Steelers recovered to maintain their 22-7 lead.

It looked like he was short after a closer look at the film, so a challenge may not have been successful. But what was strange was the fact that the Raiders hurried up to the line of scrimmage and didn’t give their coaches upstairs a lot of time to watch replays of the potential score.

It wasn’t the only questionable call by the Raiders. They ran a whole lot of plays that didn’t have much chance of success. That included deciding to run the ball when facing a first-and-20, a second-and-18 and a third-and-11.

Those play calls don’t reflect much confidence in the offense.

Observations

■ Jordan Meredith was asked to step in and play 43 snaps at right guard in place of an injured Dylan Parham.

Meredith, one of the most friendly players in the NFL, stepped in and played quite well.

The Raiders like having the 26-year-old on their roster because he brings versatility and is a positive presence in the locker room. They have to be pleased Meredith can give them quality reps on the field as well.

■ Porter is the real deal. He made sure Raiders wide receiver Tre Tucker wasn’t going to be a factor in the game with Adams and Meyers out.

The two weren’t always matched up, but Tucker rarely got separation when they were. He finished with zero receptions on two targets.

■ Bowers continues to be an impressive blocker as well as receiver.

He had several good blocks on the opening drive, including one on 2021 defensive player of the year T.J. Watt on one of Mattison’s runs.

Bowers’ effort on the Raiders’ first touchdown may have been even better. He came in motion from the left slot and lined up at fullback ahead of Mattison, who took the handoff and waited for Bowers to clear enough space for him to get to the goal line.

Looking ahead

The Raiders (2-4) have three games left before their Week 10 bye and none look easy on paper. There’s a distinct possibility that the team could be sitting at 2-7 during its week off.

That stretch starts with a return trip to SoFi Stadium this week to face the Rams (1-4). The Raiders opened their season with a 22-10 loss to the Chargers at the same venue Sept. 8.

They host the Chiefs (5-0) in Week 8 and travel to Cincinnati to face the Bengals (2-4) in Week 9.

Contact Adam Hill at ahill@reviewjournal.com. Follow @AdamHillLVRJ on X.