Raiders rewind: What cornerback saw on fourth-quarter pick-6

Those decisions weren’t just based on a 41-24 defeat to the Bengals on Sunday at Cincinnati’s Paycor Stadium. But nothing that happened on the field was good enough to save anyone’s job.

Here’s a closer look at what went wrong in Cincinnati:

Putting it into perspective

The Raiders had one more chance to get back in the win column before their bye week.

They did not.

Instead, they continued a downward spiral that shows no sign of ending anytime soon. This time, unlike most of the Raiders’ losses during this losing streak, they weren’t even that competitive.

That meant changes were in order. The Raiders fired offensive coordinator Luke Getsy, offensive line coach James Cregg and quarterbacks coach Rich Scangarello on Sunday. Pass game coordinator Scott Turner was promoted to interim offensive coordinator Tuesday, while senior offensive assistant Joe Philbin became the team’s interim offensive line coach.

Turner’s father Norv, a longtime NFL coach, is also joining the staff as a senior advisor.

The Raiders hope the changes, as well as the bye, give them a chance to reset.

Star of the game

Rookie offensive lineman Jackson Powers-Johnson said he would be comfortable moving back to center in the wake of Andre James’ ankle injury.

He wasn’t kidding.

Powers-Johnson, a standout center in college at Oregon, looked phenomenal in the middle of the Raiders’ offensive line Sunday. He pushed people around and communicated well.

Powers-Johnson, who began his career with the Raiders at left guard, looked more natural at center. That may be where he fits best long term.

Play of the game

Cornerback Jack Jones, for one play in the fourth quarter, looked like the player that burst onto the scene with the Raiders last year.

Jones was lined up opposite of wide receiver Andrei Iosivas on the outside when he saw wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase motion toward his side of the field. Jones also saw quarterback Joe Burrow open his hips, an indication the Bengals were going to throw a screen into the flat.

Jones ran past Iosivas before he could be blocked, stepped in front of the pass to intercept it and returned the ball 29 yards for a touchdown 1:43 into the fourth quarter.

It was an athletic play, but it was only made possible by Jones’ ability to diagnose what Cincinnati was doing. He made the play in the film room as much as he did on the field.

Drive of the game

This goes to the Raiders’ opening drive yet again.

The team has now scored a touchdown on its first possession in four of its last five games. It’s a remarkable stat given how quickly things have proceeded to unravel for the offense.

The Raiders almost went three-and-out their opening drive Sunday, but rookie tight end Brock Bowers drew a pass interference penalty to move the chains on third down.

Bowers then caught a short pass for nine yards. Quarterback Gardner Minshew hit wide receiver Jakobi Meyers downfield for 22 yards the next play.

Three runs by running back Alexander Mattison gained 17 yards before running back Zamir White gained a yard on his first touch. Mattison then came back in and ran for three yards to convert a third-and-3, moving the Raiders to the Bengals’ 2-yard line.

White then got the ball twice. He scored on his second attempt for his first rushing touchdown of the season.

Efficient and productive. The Raiders’ offense looked exactly like it was supposed to during the 11-play, 70-yard march. The unit didn’t find the end zone again until there were 41 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter.

What were they thinking?

The Raiders didn’t make any major strategic blunders Sunday. Mainly because the game wasn’t all that close in the second half.

The Bengals did take control thanks to a bold coaching decision, however.

Cincinnati, after the Raiders scored their opening drive, tried to author a response. The Bengals ultimately faced a fourth-and-3 from their opponent’s 20-yard line.

It would have been easy for coach Zac Taylor to send out his field-goal unit. He didn’t. He trusted his offense and Burrow, who delivered by finding tight end Tanner Hudson for an 11-yard gain.

Cincinnati scored a touchdown three plays later to tie the game. It was a great call. And it’s not a guarantee the Raiders would have done the same thing if they faced a similar decision.

Observations

■ Jordan Meredith continues to play well at right guard. He has done everything in his power to earn the starting job full-time even when the Raiders get healthy up front.

■ The Raiders would have been in trouble if another offensive lineman got injured Sunday. They were down to just five players up front by the end of the game. The Raiders may have had to ask defensive players to help out if someone else went down. A tight end like Harrison Bryant could have been an option in most circumstances, but he suffered an ankle injury and was out of the game.

■ Quarterback Desmond Ridder’s performance had ups and downs. Ridder, who replaced Minshew in the third quarter, joined the Raiders on Oct. 22 and didn’t have much practice time with the team. Playing behind a makeshift offensive line also didn’t help his cause. He was under pressure most of his dropbacks, but he rolled into trouble a couple of times as well. He did a better job of trusting his instincts late in the game. He extended a few plays and put together a nice touchdown drive before the final whistle.

■ Somebody probably had to get fired with how the Raiders have been performing of late. But the issues weren’t all on Getsy. There are times in the running game where the offensive line just gets pushed back. Other times the group creates a hole and the running back doesn’t see it in time. It will be hard for Scott Turner to achieve different results if players still can’t execute moving forward.

Looking ahead

The Raiders are off this week. Their bye probably comes at a good time.

The team is reeling from its losing streak and had five players come out of Sunday’s game — Bryant, left tackle Kolton Miller, offensive lineman Andrus Peat, left guard Cody Whitehair and cornerback Nate Hobbs — with ankle injuries.

The break will give players time to heal. The Raiders’ new offensive coaches will also have plenty of time to prepare for the team’s next game against the Dolphins on No. 17.

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