Welcome in to the full recap of the Raiders' Week 5 matchup vs. the Baltimore Ravens where the Raiders looked to bounce back and make it three in a row vs. the Ravens. But, Joe Flacco and company ensured that Baltimore's hearts won't be broken a third time as they beat the Raiders 30-17.
This is like one of those classic tragedies we've read back in literature class. The Raiders are riding high with a 2-0 start, then these last three games, they are just in absolute free fall. In today's game, you can definitely tell the Raiders were really short-handed, especially in the secondary. Obviously Derek Carr being inactive was huge, but I was surprised that Gabe Jackson was an inactive. I was wondering why was Jon Feliciano playing right guard through the whole game? Then I did a double take on the inactives list and Jackson was one of them. Marquel Lee went down late in the game. Injuries aside, Joe Flacco going deep for Mike Wallace on the first play of the game set the tone for the Ravens throughout the rest game. Baltimore was the more desperate team today while the Oakland Raiders looked like a finished team.
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EJ Manuel, 13 of 26, 159 yards, 1 TD, 2 carries 15 rush yards. Usually, when a backup quarterback is starting in a losing effort, the blame primarily falls on him. This game is one of those rarities where you can't fault the backup QB for the loss. Manuel played a solid game today, filling for Derek Carr. I thought he started off slow. He made a couple of throws that were too high or just outside where the receiver can get the ball. But, the big plus is that he made plays with his legs. Examples in this game included his TD pass to Crabtree when he escaped from a sack and when he made that critical 3rd down run to set up Marshawn Lynch's TD to cut the Ravens lead within a touchdown. Manuel's stats look pedestrian, but he played a really safe game. You can't completely fault him when the team was down by two touchdowns to start.
Michael Crabtree, 6 receptions, 82 yards, 1 TD. Raiders could've used Crabtree last week against the Broncos, but injuries are a part of the game. This was a nice welcome back game for Crabtree, catching a 41 yard TD as Manuel made it happen with his legs. He could've had another TD had Manuel not throw the football too high on 2nd down before the 3rd down conversion and the Beast Mode TD. But, Crabtree continues to play that de-facto #1 WR role, especially since Amari Cooper is still drifting out of the game plan on offense.
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Sean Smith and Reggie Nelson. The secondary coming into the game short-handed just spells disaster, especially when the defense is in passing situations. Sean Smith going up alone against Mike Wallace is a disaster. Reggie Nelson providing Sean Smith with Safety help over Mike Wallace is a bigger disaster considering Nelson is losing a few steps with age. They made the Ravens' Mike Wallace look like the Pittsburgh Steelers' Mike Wallace out there. They were burnt toast big time, Sean Smith especially. I can't wait for the offseason when the Raiders can finally get rid of Sean Smith.
4th and 3, 4th quarter, 8:58. I may be wrong, but this is the exact down and the exact time when the Raiders elected to punt instead of going for it on 4th down. As a result, the Ravens made sure the Raiders never got the ball back and killed most of the clock. I can understand the decision behind it since EJ Manuel was playing. If it was Derek Carr under center, Jack Del Rio would've went for it on 4th down with confidence. But, you just never know and I thought Coach Del Rio should've taken a chance with Manuel. Marquette King made a bad punt and the Ravens just ran it down their throats.
Amari Cooper, 1 reception, 8 yards. Coop did not have a reception until late in the 2nd half. This is especially frustrating for me because I was a big advocate in bringing Coop to Oakland. I'm looking here and saying to myself this is not the Amari Cooper I liked in Alabama in 2014. This is not the Amari Cooper I had high hopes for after an impressive rookie showing in 2015. 100 yards and 1 TD in five games is lackluster. It's like there's trust issues because Coop has a case of dropsies. That, I can't deny. It's unacceptable that Coop drops balls in crucial moments, but it's inexcusable for the coaching staff to shut him out in the game plan. He's your dynamic receiver on the team! Use him!
MVP
Michael Crabtree, 6 receptions, 82 yards, 1 TD
MVP was between EJ Manuel and Crabtree. Of course, they're the only positives in my opinion in today's game. But, King Crab was greatly missed in the passing game last week. And today, he certainly held up making things easy for EJ Manuel against a stingy Baltimore defense.
Conclusion
In these last three games, I'm seeing a team that is lacking a lot of focus right now. It's clear as day that the organization has not gotten over the dysfunction and lack of team cohesion of the last 14 years of mediocrity. Whether it's the anthem protests or that they bought into their own hype, this team has to search for and bring back their identity. The silver lining is that it's better to be 2-3 than 0-5. These next two division games against the LA Chargers and Kansas City will tell a lot. The Raiders need those wins if they want to end this horror script. Where is the team's heart and mind at? The answer lies in these next two games. I'll see you guys later.
