The Las Vegas Raiders' run defense is officially a problem

Las Vegas played its worst game ever in its home opener on Sunday. When the Raiders took on the Carolina Panthers, Sunday was a chance for the Silver and Black to prove their legitimacy, playing against an opponent most considered inferior.

Coach Antonio Pierce was visibly upset at the postgame press conference, noting that many things did not go as he and his coaching staff had planned, which often resulted in the Raiders offense trying to play well in multiple unfavorable positions.

Pierce said everything he saw from the Raiders on Sunday was bad. Frustrated, he noted that execution was a glaring problem for the Raiders this weekend. Pierce didn't mince his words when describing today's game.

“No, it was just bad,” Pierce said after the loss. “Just not good enough. Obviously the crowd was ready. I appreciate everyone coming out. They did their part. We didn't. The plan wasn't good enough. The plays weren't good enough today. What we thought would work didn't work, and on the field we didn't execute it or put in the effort that we've put in the past few games.”

Essentially, the Raiders defense struggled all game long. It looked like a different unit than the defense that had played well in the first two games of the season. However, the crushing loss to the Panthers gave the Raiders a chance to develop. Pierce noticed this more than anything else, despite having a lot of young players on the field.