The Las Vegas Raiders fell to the Los Angeles Chargers 22-10 on Sunday, as the Raiders’ offense struggled to sustain drives and scored just three points in the final three quarters. Las Vegas will look to bounce back in Week 2 as the team travels to Baltimore to take on the Ravens on Sunday, September 15.
A primary reason for the Raiders’ sluggish offense was the inefficient rushing attack. As a team, Las Vegas ran for just 71 yards and averaged 3.2 yards per carry. Though the run game underperformed, a running back still managed to stand out on Sunday — and it wasn’t Zamir White.
Alexander Mattison had a quiet training camp after signing a one-year deal with the Raiders in the offseason, but the 26-year-old showcased his versatility during Sunday’s loss.
The former Boise State standout posted 63 scrimmage yards on nine touches and had Las Vegas’ lone touchdown of the game, a 31-yard receiving score in the first quarter that saw him do all the work.
Helluva highlight for the first TD of the season 🔥 #LVvsLAC | 📺 Paramount+ pic.twitter.com/wkObbmIzdK
— Las Vegas Raiders (@Raiders) September 8, 2024
Mattison’s solid performance against the Chargers coupled with White’s subpar day could raise questions about the Raiders’ running back situation in the coming weeks.
“I thought he did a heck of a job,” head coach Antonio Pierce said of Mattison’s showing in Week 1. “Every time he went in there, made plays. Really good job, also, in pass protection for us.”
Pierce was asked about whether or not he’ll ride the hot hand moving forward, and he simply answered, “We’ve got to.”
White garnered a ton of buzz heading into the season but tallied just 44 rushing yards on 3.4 yards per carry and had almost almost no receiving production as Mattison took the majority of the work there.
Mattison (36 snaps) actually out-snapped White (23), too, but that likely had more to do with game script than anything else. White was still the preferred back on the ground, with 13 carries to Mattison’s five.
Despite his disappointing Week 1 performance, White will remain the Raiders’ lead back for now. But if he continues to play inefficient football, Mattison will start eating into White’s carries and could take over in Luke Getsy’s offense.
