Storyline: Without question, this is the best Oakland Raiders team in a decade. But last Sunday’s win over San Diego also showed just how wildly inconsistent this group can be. The Raiders are both exhilarating and maddening to watch.
The Oakland Raiders are now 4-1 for the first time since 2002. And this team may the the most entertaining group in the NFL. Every game has come down to the final possession with every game chock full of offensive fireworks.
The Raiders came into last Sunday’s game with the San Diego Chargers with three straight road wins and the Chargers were coming off two consecutive (and crippling) defeats. The Chargers also seem to be losing at least one major player a week to injury.
Courtesy: cover32.com
My expectations for the game were pretty simple: put it all together and send these San Diegoans south with a crushing defeat.
What a silly Raider fan I can be sometimes.
There’s no silliness about these Raiders, though: it’s the best Oakland team in a decade. But this group is still awfully young and wildly inconsistent–exhilarating and maddening to watch.
Offense, defense, and special teams never click at the same time–meaning the Raiders can probably beat or lose (just as easily) to any NFL team. Just know the game will be close in the end.
For twenty straight games (yes, that’s 20!) Oakland and its opposition have been within six points at some point in the fourth quarter. It happened again last Sunday. The Nation’s collective sphincter needs some major relief.
Philip Rivers passing kept SD in the game v. Oakland (photo, zimbio.com)
Last Sunday the Chargers kept trying to make it an easy game for the Raiders, but Jack Del Rio’s troops must like the attrition. San Diego turned it over on its first drive when future Hall of Famer Antonio Gates coughed up the football. The Raiders methodically drove the length of the field to the three yard line, but the best Red Zone team in football couldn’t punch it in.
On the first play of the Chargers second drive, QB Phillip Rivers dropped back and unleashed a bomb deep down the middle of the field. Sean Smith made a brilliant play on the ball and snatched it right from the receiver’s hands. A nifty return by Smith had the Raiders setting up shop at San Diego’s 32-yard line. The Raiders proceeded to go three-and-out and miss a 50-yard field goal.
The struggling Raider’s defense actually played well in the first half, forcing three turnovers and holding the Chargers to only ten first-half points. What did the high-powered Raider’s offense accomplish? The offense chipped in with three Sebastian Janikowski field goals, even though ore points were there for the taking.
The second half opened with the Chargers marching down the field in four way-too-easy plays, scoring first, to take a 17-6 lead. The Raiders were not only failing to crush the Chargers, they were on the verge of losing control of this game.
Amari Cooper is off to the races (photo, justblogbaby.com)
Thankfully, the Silver & Black are addicted to close games. The offense woke right up with a beautiful Derek Carr 64-yard bomb to a streaking Amari Cooper.
The Chargers were up 24-19 late in the third when, once again, they gifted the Raiders with a Melvin Gordon fumble at the San Diego 32-yard line. Oakland almost returned the gift with a fourth and two, but ‘Black’ Jack Del Rio went for it. Carr dropped a gutsy 20-yard fade into Crabtree’s reliable hands. To top it off, Carr hit Cooper for the two-point conversion. No NFL coach has seen his ballsy calls pay off in 2016 like Del Rio.
The fourth quarter belonged to San Diego punter Drew Kaser … and for all the wrong reasons. The Chargers had a dreadful three-and-out right after the Raiders took a 27-24 lead, but Kaser’s punt was even worse. He shanked it and the Raiders had the ball at the San Diego 32-yard line. Oakland then proceeded to take a ten-point lead. Sadly, that gaffe wasn’t Kaser’s worst moment of the day.
The home team could have made things easy and built on its ten-point lead, but not these Raiders. Once things looked comfortable, they stopped doing things right. Rivers sliced the defense on a 12 play, 75-yard TD drive to get within three. Then the Raiders offense had an ill-timed three-and-out on their most important series of the day. The Chargers got the ball with a little over two minutes left and a chance to tie or win the game.
Rivers again took his offense down the field … until Gordon was stuffed on a third-and-two at the Oakland 26. I was distressed at that point, but I was also thinking … OK … so San Diego makes the field goal and Carr still has two minutes to march down the field for the game winner. Nothing is guaranteed, but Carr has already displayed the clutch gene in 2016. There’s nothing wrong with another game-winning drive.
Drew Kaser bobbles snap (photo, boltbeat.com)
But Kaser made sure Carr’s services weren’t necessary. Kaser, serving as holder, bobbled a perfect snap from center.
The Raiders won the game and the Chargers went home with a Bad News Bears-type loss.
The Nation loves Christmas gifts in October.
Game Day Observations
While Amari Cooper had his first TD of the year, he came within inches of having four on the day. Three times Coop caught the ball in the End Zone and three times the tiniest fraction of his foot was on the white line. That’s something for this young man to work on … unless he prefers to stick with 60-yard bombs from Carr.
Perry Riley Jr. reacts after a play against the San Diego Chargers (photo, Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
But here’s a shout-out to the newest member of the Silver & Black, linebacker Perry Riley Jr. With Malcom Smith hurting, Riley was pressed into duty after being signed just last week. He played well, leading the team with six tackles and forcing that Gates fumble. Linebacker has been the weakest spot on this team, so let’s hope Riley continues his strong play.
Another week brought another injury at right tackle for the Raiders. Menelik Watson (twice), Austin Howard, Matt McCants, and now Vadal Alexander have all been injured playing right tackle. Alexander came back and performed quite well, but the spot seems cursed. I tend to blame Watson since I don’t think he has made it through an entire game since being drafted.
In the spirit of never playing well at the same time, I bring you Sean Smith and David Amerson. Smith’s play was putrid the first two weeks (against the Saints and Falcons), but he has rebounded nicely the past few weeks. While Smith was struggling, opposing teams avoided Amerson at all costs. He was the top-rated cornerback on Pro Football Focus through three weeks. But Amerson has slipped against Baltimore and San Diego, giving up huge plays in both games. I think the entire secondary needs time to gel.
The Raiders offense was without starting RB Latavius Murray, TE’s Clive Wolford and Lee Smith, and RT Menelik Watson. The team still put up nearly 400 yards of offense. Depth is something this team hasn’t had in many years. Major kudos should be extended to GM Reggie McKenzie for assembling this roster.
Player of the Game
Stacey McGee celebrates Raiders’ 4-1 start (photo, sportsnet.ca)
Amari Cooper missed out on three TDs, but he was still a match-up nightmare for the Chargers. He grabbed six balls for 138 yards. A masterful stutter-step opened up his TD route. Cooper still has so much room for growth, so the end result should be scary for every AFC cornerback.
Bottom line: Raiders are 4-1. Can you believe it?!
