Geno Smith suffered the first home loss of the season in a game where he threw three interceptions. He stated, “I feel like I gotta be a lot better for our guys,” suggesting that this type of performance against Justin Herbert’s Los Angeles Chargers shouldn’t happen again, especially when playing at home.
The game at the Raiders’ home stadium was a true nightmare. Smith barely threw for 180 yards. Regarding the interceptions, he said in the post-game press conference that they were designed plays that went wrong, and it was unfortunate that it happened that way. He noted that some of the passes were “tipped up” by a Chargers defender.
Herbert and his team were able to score in just four plays, with a field goal that gave his team a 3-0 lead. The Raiders eventually tied the game after 10 plays, consuming almost five minutes of the first quarter. It was already clear how much Smith was struggling with his team.
Smith Doesn’t Want Excuses for the Raiders
One of the things Smith said after the loss was that there will be no excuses for bad games. “I’m never going to make any excuses about anything.” He returned to his point that things have to get better. “I’ve got to be better, we’ve got to be better,” affirmed the quarterback, who now holds a 1-1 record.
Smith is realistic and knows the Raiders have to hurry to correct the mistakes they made against the Chargers. “We got a short week to improve that,” he said. He also admitted that the loss to Herbert will serve as a learning experience, stating, “I’ve got to learn from it. This game is all about learning from your experiences…” and pointed out that he had experienced this type of game in the past.
Now, the Raiders will have to play in Week 3 against the Commanders. It will be a Sunday game against a team waiting to see how Jayden Daniels reacts to his knee sprain, which could limit him or keep him from playing in Washington. This could be an advantage for Smith and his team.