Despite getting off to a good start, the Oakland Raiders suffered their first loss of the 2019 NFL season, falling 28-10 to the Kansas City Chiefs in a game that was dominated by injuries.
The Chiefs, already without the services of star wide receiver Tyreek Hill, saw left tackle Eric Fisher exit early in the first quarter after re-aggravating his groin — an issue that arose in practice last week. A banged-up knee also prevented running back Damien Williams from returning late in the second half.
Injuries additionally plagued the Raiders, who, at times, were without multiple key players on offense. Right tackle Trent Brown suffered a knee injury himself, and his void was felt almost immediately. His replacement, Brandon Parker, allowed a sack to Derek Carr just two plays upon entering the game.
Raiders’ 2019 first-round draft pick Josh Jacobs also missed a stretch of time because of dehydration and cramping. He received an IV and eventually returned to the field, though it wasn’t without being absent for a good chunk of the second quarter.
A pair of Raiders wide receivers were also bitten by the injury bug. Tyrell Williams, who caught a touchdown in the first quarter, battled with hip trouble while kick returner Dwayne Harris endured a more serious ankle injury.
Though there is cause for concern considering the amount of players impacted by injuries, Raiders head coach Jon Gruden doesn’t consider any of them to be overly serious, via Scott Bair of NBC Sports Bay Area:
Trent Brown is dealing with a knee issue. The Raiders didn’t have Jacobs for a time, and Tyrell received some treatment for a hip ailment. Dwayne Harris has a bum ankleZ
Gruden doesn’t believe anything is serious, but the Raiders are banged up on offense
— Scott Bair (@BairNBCS) September 15, 2019
In addition to the aforementioned names, the Raiders were also forced to cope with bad health on the defensive side of things. At various points in the game, the likes of Maurice Hurst, Gareon Conley, Daryl Worley and Vontaze Burfict were all tended to by trainers for respective injuries.
Even with their disappointing loss to the Chiefs, the Raiders can take solace in the fact that none of their significant contributors are expected to miss much time — if any — due to the injuries that surfaced on Sunday.
The team will now look to regroup and prepare for a difficult upcoming Week 3 matchup on the road against the Minnesota Vikings.
