The Las Vegas Raiders' 33-30 home loss to the Buffalo Bills in Week 6 extended their losing streak to three games. Coach Klint Kubiak said the team's path out of its rut is simple: it needs to "close games out."
Unlike the 45-17 loss to the New England Patriots in Week 5, which felt decided by halftime, the Raiders stayed competitive with Buffalo, a Super Bowl contender. Their problems came after the break, especially in the third quarter, when they were held scoreless. Over the past three weeks, the Raiders have been outscored 64-41 in the second half and 24-3 in the third quarter.
Kubiak pointed to a "complete lack of production" as the core issue. Quarterback Kirk Cousins has played at a surprisingly high level and the offense is scoring more than last season, but frequent three-and-outs to open the second half have sapped momentum. Against Buffalo, Cousins threw three straight incompletions after the game was tied at 13, and the Bills responded with 10 unanswered points. Cousins has also thrown four of his five interceptions in the final two quarters, and the team has committed seven second-half turnovers this season.
Wide receiver Tre Tucker said the Raiders cannot come out flat, especially after deferring the opening kickoff to get the ball in the second half. Cousins said the team is a "much better team" when it starts the third quarter efficiently. The margin for error is thin, and the Raiders must convert red zone opportunities and tighten their defense in key moments. Their next test comes Sunday against the Los Angeles Rams at 4:25 p.m. ET on Fox.
Source: ESPN NFL · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing