Storyline: It’s not just that the Raiders lost to the Chiefs at home. It’s the way that Oakland lost to KC–with porous defense.
The Oakland Raiders lost their second game of the season on Sunday to bring their record to 4-2.
While any Raider fan would have taken that record before the season start, this defeat is worrisome for Raider Nation. It was another home loss, another defeat to the archrival Chiefs, and the troubling way the game unfolded.
The Raiders’ defense is underperforming (photo, Mercury News)
The Raiders never really challenged the Chiefs after halftime on either side of the ball. Kansas City took the second half kickoff right down the field to make it 20-10. KC only scored six more points in a 26-10 victory, but it appeared they could have done anything they wanted, on the ground and in the air.
The Raiders defense looked clueless and the coaching staff had no answers in response even thought the entire Raiders organization is run by former NFL linebackers–Reggie McKenzie, Jack Del Rio, and Ken Norton Jr. Yet the 2016 Raiders could have an historically bad defense. Oakland hasn’t shown the ability to stop any offense. Greatness wasn’t the expectation, but neither was worst in the NFL.
I see Mike Zimmer in Minnesota building a defensive juggernaut. It’s troubling that Oakland’s coaches (from similar defensive backgrounds) have taken large step backwards in year two. The defense improved on a weekly basis in 2015, but in 2016 the D has regressed mightily. That regression comes with roster improvements, too. But unless this unit gets better, playoff thoughts are out the window.
Even with all of the team’s defensive troubles, the Raiders have been good on offense to win games. But the O couldn’t carry the team last Sunday against KC.
Derek Carr had one solid drive against the Chiefs on Sunday (photo, Bleacher Report)
QB Derek Carr started off on fire with a TD on the opening drive. I was so excited that I sent my wife a text that Carr would fight through the rain and burn the Chiefs all day. But that feeling was premature: that drive would turn out to be the offense’s only decent offensive effort of the game.
Carr never got back that early form, fumbling twice on the day. He also threw one bad pick and was a ‘buttery fingers’ away from a second. His biggest issue was inconsistency to start the second half. Three straight three-and-outs opened the half and the Raiders never recovered–or even challenged–the KC defense again.
It was a shock to see the Raiders go down so easily. It wasn’t just Carr, either. Michael Crabtree caught only two balls on the day. The running game never could find a flow. The O seems to miss starter Latavius Murray more and more each game. And while I don’t like to pick on play calling, the Raiders only had 14 carries on a day with torrential down pours.
The offense probably deserves a pass because it has carried the team all season. But the team cannot survive long droughts. This was the second time this season (Tennessee was the other) where the offense didn’t score in the second half.
Charles Woodson and Howie Long aren’t walking through that door on defense, so the offense is the key to the team. It needs to have consistent rhythm every game or the L’s will keep coming.
Courtesy: WeKnowMemes
One loss in week six doesn’t make or break a season, but the Raiders were dominated at home by a division rival. That has to worry the Nation quite a bit.
Plus the loss came to the Chiefs…. The Chiefs always seem to embarrass the Raiders or at least put them in their proper place.
I feel like Indiana Jones does with snakes. Chiefs! Why does it always have to be the Chiefs?
Game Day Observations: Andy Reid is now 16-2 in his career coming out of a bye week. Reid’s extra week of game planning really had the Raiders confused on defense. Motion on offense and play action had the Raiders’ defense scrambling right until the snap, which is never a good thing. They even threw a screen pass for a TD to defensive lineman, Dontari Poe, which was extra salt in the wounds for our embattled defense.
Spencer Ware pounded the Raiders for 131 yards on the ground, a 5.5 yards per clip. Ware seemed to break through every first defender and could not be tackled by one man. Getting beaten down by opposing running backs has been a recurring theme for the Raiders this year: Devonta Freeman, DeMarco Murray, Terrance West, and now Ware have all had their way with a too easy defense.
An irony is that this young Raiders team seems confident on the road but not at home. The Chief’s loss leaves Del Rio with a 4-6 mark at home compared to 7-4 on the road. The loss against KC and the opener against Cincinnati have been the only non-competitive games of the Del Rio era. And it’s hard to understand why it’s more difficult to win in front of the home fans.
There were only five penalties in this game with three called on the Raiders. I don’t recall bitching during the game about the refs, so I guess that’s a Sunday highlight.
Amari Cooper had another outstanding day for Oakland (photo, Just Blog Baby)
Player of the Game
It’s a very easy call this week: Amari Cooper was only Raider who excelled on Sunday. Cooper had over hundred yards receiving by the half and the Chiefs could hardly contain him.
While he was slowed in the second half, the truth is that the Raiders didn’t have the ball much time at all. Cooper is on pace for over 1,500 yards this season, which is quite a feat for a second-year man.
