Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Geno Smith left their 24-17 loss to the Denver Broncos early Sunday afternoon due to apparent hand and shoulder injuries.
Smith was hit hard on a third down early in the second half of the contest at Allegiant Stadium, and came up favoring his right hand after throwing an incomplete pass. Smith was looked at by the team’s medical staff during the Broncos’ next drive, but he returned to the game the next time out.
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That didn’t last. Smith led the Raiders into scoring position and hit Brock Bowers inside the 10-yard line on the final play of the third quarter, though he took a big hit and landed hard on his right shoulder as he got rid of the ball. Smith hopped back up quickly and made it to the sideline, but he did not come back out to start the fourth quarter.
Backup Kenny Pickett took his place as Smith went to the locker room. Pickett threw a short 2-yard completion on third down, and then missed Bowers in the end zone on fourth down.
The Raiders initially said that Smith was questionable to return with a right hand injury. When he went out the second time, the team said it was a right shoulder injury. Specifics of either injury are not yet known.
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Smith went 8-of-13 passing for 71 yards with a touchdown before he went down with the injury. He led the Raiders on a 10-play, 70-yard drive capped with a 15-yard touchdown pass to Bowers on Vegas’ first possession of the afternoon. But the Broncos, who also scored on their opening drive of the day, then ran a punt back 48 yards for a touchdown to take a 14-7 lead into the locker room at halftime.
Smith entered Sunday with 2,532 yards and 15 touchdowns to 14 interceptions this year. Pickett, traded to the Raiders earlier this fall after backup Aidan O’Connell was injured in the preseason, is in the final year of his rookie contract. He finished 8-of-11 passing for 96 yards with a score. He found Shedrick Jackson for a 25-yard touchdown late in the fourth quarter. Ashton Jeanty had 30 yards on 10 carries, and Bowers had 46 yards and a touchdown on four catches.
Bo Nix went 31-of-38 passing for 212 yards in the win for the Broncos, who now sit at 11-2 on the season. The win was their 10th in a row. RJ Harvey added 75 rushing yards and a score on 17 carries, and Courtland Sutton had 62 yards on six catches.
The Raiders (2-11) have already been eliminated from postseason contention. The franchise hasn’t won a playoff game since the 2002 season, and has been to the playoffs only once since relocating to Las Vegas.
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The Raiders will take on the Philadelphia Eagles next week.
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