The 2022 Las Vegas Raiders campaign stood as a frustrating example in missed connections and agonizing late-game collapses. Fresh off an emotional playoff berth under interim leadership the previous year, owner Mark Davis looked to raise the team's ceiling by hiring head coach Josh McDaniels and engineering a blockbuster trade for premier wideout Davante Adams. Paired with the splashy free-agent signing of pass rusher Chandler Jones to a three-year contract, Sin City entered the season with legitimate playoff aspirations. Instead, the Raiders crashed down to earth, finishing a dismal 6-11 and sliding to third in the cutthroat AFC West. The underbelly of this disappointing squad was an unprecedented inability to preserve substantial leads, constantly short-circuiting their own postseason trajectory.

Offensively, the unit hummed with a pass-first approach that ranked 12th in both total yards and points scored (23.2 ppg). Running back Josh Jacobs delivered an absolute tour de force, carrying the rock 340 times for a league-leading 1,653 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns. Through the air, Derek Carr threw for 3,522 yards and 24 touchdowns, but his underlying efficiency cratered as he threw 14 interceptions over 15 starts, ultimately resulting in his late-season benching for Jarrett Stidham. Carr's childhood connection with Adams yielded plenty of highlights, as the superstar receiver hauled in 100 receptions for 1,516 yards and a team-high 14 touchdowns. Wideout Mack Hollins chipped in 690 yards, yet the offense frequently went ice-cold in crucial moments, holding back the unit's ceiling.

The main culprit for the losing record resided on the other side of the ball, where the defense collapsed to 26th in points allowed (24.6 ppg) and 28th in total yards. Las Vegas simply could not get off the field, ranking dead last in the NFL with a mere 13 forced turnovers all season. Maxx Crosby was the lone, terrifying bright spot in the trenches, playing like a man possessed to rack up 12.5 sacks and a league-best 22 tackles for loss. While Duron Harmon and Denzel Perryman provided occasional stability with two interceptions apiece, the secondary was consistently shredded, ranking 29th against the pass. Opposing offenses easily sustained drives, exploiting a unit that failed to generate consistent pressure outside of Crosby's individual brilliance.

The story of the year was written in a series of shocking, double-digit collapses that defined their key moments. The nightmare began in Week 2, when they surrendered a 20-0 halftime lead to the Arizona Cardinals in a stunning 29-23 overtime defeat. Similar meltdowns followed against the Kansas City Chiefs and Jacksonville Jaguars, but none stung quite like Week 14 against the Los Angeles Rams, where they allowed Baker Mayfield - who had been with the team for less than 48 hours - to march 98 yards for a game-winning touchdown. Even their wildest triumphs, like the infamous Week 15 walk-off victory over the New England Patriots featuring Chandler Jones grabbing a bizarre lateral out of midair, felt more like chaotic anomalies than the signature of a disciplined football team.

Missing the postseason, the 2022 Raiders left behind a legacy of squandered team potential rather than any greatness. The individual brilliance of Josh Jacobs, Davante Adams, and kicker Daniel Carlson - who converted 11 of 13 attempts from beyond 50 yards - earned all three first-team All-Pro honors, making this one of the most decorated sub-.500 rosters in modern history. Maxx Crosby also finished sixth in Defensive Player of the Year voting, illustrating the top-heavy nature of the squad. The season serves as a cautionary tale of how elite frontline star power can be completely neutralized by a porous defense, poor late-game execution, and an identity crisis that cost Derek Carr his job after nine years under center.