3 biggest disappointments from 2022 season

The Las Vegas Raiders’ miserable 2022 season has finally come to an end. Las Vegas struggled to make a surprising playoff appearance in 2021, and many expected a repeat performance in 2022. Those expectations only grew after the Raiders acquired wide receiver Davante Adams in the offseason, leading many to assume that they were a playoff lock. .

Unfortunately for Las Vegas, this season was an absolute disaster. The Raiders finished just 6-11, third in the AFC West and four games worse than last year’s record. They had a bad habit of double-digit leads, having blown four of them this season. If they could hold onto those leads, they would be in the playoffs.

Some Raiders, like Adams, Josh Jacobs and Maxx Crosby, had great seasons and kept the team competitive in almost every game. However, the bad outweighs the good in this case, as many Raiders performed well below expectations. With the Las Vegas season winding down, we’ll be ranking the most disappointing Raiders of 2022.

It’s important to note that we’re discussing the most disappointing Raiders from this season, not the worst. For example, Josh McDaniels had a very poor first season as the head coach of the Raiders, and it definitely cost the team some games. However, he won’t appear on this list because who expected him to be this good?

With that said, here are the three most disappointing Raiders from the 2022 NFL season.

3. Hunter Renfrow

Hunter Renfrow has developed into a solid wideout for the Raiders. In 2021, he had his best season with 103 receptions for 1,038 yards and nine touchdowns, leading the team in both. With Adams coming in as the new WR1, it’s fair to expect a step back from Renfrow, but no one expected it to be this drastic.

Renfrow had the worst season of his career in 2022, with just 36 catches for 330 yards and two touchdowns. He surpassed the 50-yard plateau in just three games and didn’t score a touchdown until the Christmas game against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Yes, injuries limited him to just 10 games this season, but he wasn’t great even when he played.

If Renfrow can bounce back in 2023, then the Raiders could have one of the best receiving duos in the league. However, if he continues to play like this, he could soon find himself in a different uniform.

2. Derek Carr

Derek Carr had a very solid season in 2021 and played a big role in getting Vegas to the playoffs. He completed 68.4% of his passes for a career-high 4,804 yards and 23 touchdowns. With a new top target and good friend in Adams, Carr should have been even better in 2022, but he wasn’t.

While Carr threw one more touchdown this year than last, that was the only stat to improve. He threw 14 interceptions, tied with Kirk Cousins ​​for second-most in the league, for the second straight season. Additionally, his completion percentage, passing yards, yards per attempt and passer rating have all seen significant declines.

With McDaniels on Carr’s bench late in the season, he has almost certainly played his last game as a Raider. Regardless of where he ends up playing in 2023, though, he’ll have to be better than he was this season.

1. Chandler Jones

Las Vegas made a big splash in the free agency market by signing defensive end Chandler Jones. The former Patriot and Cardinal has over 100 career sacks, and the three-year, $51 million contract the Raiders signed him to seemed like a great deal. With Crosby on the other end, Jones should have boosted the Raiders’ pass rush to the league’s elite.

Instead, Jones struggled mightily in his first season in Las Vegas. He finished with just 4.5 sacks this season, his lowest total since 2020, when he played just five games. Three of those sacks came in a Week 13 game against the Los Angeles Chargers, but they were his first complete sacks of the season. His season also ended early, as he missed the final two games due to injury.

Jones’ best point of the season came in Week 15 against his former team, the New England Patriots. Jones took a lateral intended for Patriots QB Mac Jones and took it all the way for a leg lift. However, this was more about the Patriots making a colossal mistake than Jones himself.

CHANDLER JONES. GAME-WINNER.

ENOUGH I SAID. pic.twitter.com/cmKNUuskfs

— NFL (@NFL) January 9, 2023

The Raiders were one of the worst teams in the NFL to get to the quarterback this season. They had just 27 sacks all season, third fewest in the entire league. Jones needs to be much better next season if the Raiders want to improve on that lackluster run.