General football truth: If you combine rudderless offense with abominable special teams, your fans aren't going to go home happy.
The Oakland Raiders proved as much in a troubling opening performance against the San Diego Chargers on "Monday Night Football."
Some takeaways from the Chargers' ugly 22-14 victory:
» Though we don't know him personally, Travis Goethel quite possibly had the worst night of his life ... on national television, no less. Stepping in for injured long snapper Jon Condo, who left the game with a head injury, Goethel fired two ground ball snaps on the infield dirt portion of the field, leading to supreme Chargers field position. An on-target snap precipitated a blocked punt. Yikes.
» The Raiders' passing game completely was inept. Carson Palmer rarely looked downfield, allowing the Chargers' defense to stack the line of scrimmage without fear of consequence. Palmer was without Denarius Moore and Jacoby Ford, but he did nothing to alleviate fears he's not the guy in Oakland.
» Huge opener for Chargers defensive end Shaun Phillips, who finished with three sacks. San Diego's defense was impressive, though we'd like to see how it would handle a more dangerous attack.
»Darren McFadden had one of the weirdest statlines in recent memory. The Raiders' stud running back finished with 15 carries for 32 yards and 13 receptions for 86 yards. There were stretches when McFadden looked like he was Palmer's only option.
» True to preseason hype, Chargers tight end Antonio Gates appeared revitalized, getting separation like the good old days. But he also had two drops, including one in the end zone.
Follow Dan Hanzus on Twitter @danhanzus.
