Welcome in to the full recap of the Raiders' road game vs. the Detroit Lions where the Raiders' defense kept it competitive, holding the Lions to 3 field goals in the first half, but with a horrible game by the offense, the Lions pulled away in 13-18 upset.
Nice tease. The Raiders gave us a nice tease with great wins over the Chargers and the Jets, looked like a playoff contender. They lose a heartbreaker against the Steelers in a big game, we were proud the way they fought back. Then, it comes crashing down in a home game vs. Minnesota and on this awful loss against Detroit, it looks like the fun is over. Not to be a downer or anything, but the playoff hunt is over. A game like this against Detroit, was going to tell a whole lot about the Raiders and they are just not quite there yet.
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Khalil Mack, 8 tackles. Let me say this first and foremost, aside from allowing a rushing TD by Matthew Stafford in which the defense probably looked gassed from carrying this team all game long, the defense played well. Holding the Lions team to three field goals at the half is a win in itself. Like I said, this would've been more of a beat down had the defense played like they did against Pittsburgh and Minnesota. I said this in when I posted up my thoughts on Aldon Smith's suspension, they needed to move Khalil Mack back at his natural OLB spot. It was good to see Mack back at that spot and once again, being that relentless tackling machine and being a disruptive force all over the line. The sacks didn't show, but it created some opportunity for Benson Mayowa, Ben Heeney, and Shelby Harris to finish off Stafford in the pocket.
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Amari Cooper, 1 reception, 4 yards. Don't get me wrong, I still like Amari Cooper ever since he broke out in his junior year at Alabama. I'm glad we got Amari and I think he's hands down Rookie of the Year. But I was 100% disappointed at his performance today. Just one reception and that came off a quick screen pass. Everything else that Carr threw to him, he just couldn't make the grab. Is it a little concerning that he hasn't reached over 100 yards since the Chargers game? It is, but then again Crabtree is eating up his targets. But this doesn't change the fact that this was a horrible game for Cooper, a "drop fest" to say for him. He'll have his growing pains as a rookie throughout the season, but disappointed in his performance.
Offensive miscues. Miscommunication on timing and routes, miscommunication on blocking protections by the O-line, delay of game penalties, the offense was just not on its game today. Derek Carr, he may look like a seasoned veteran, but he's got to know when the play clock is about to expire. The O-line had a hard time to open up holes for the running game and to make matters worse, Rodney Hudson went down again. The receivers weren't on the same page with Carr for the majority of the game. Just a lot of ticky-tack miscues that were part of the reasons why this offense couldn't get going.
Coaching. Too conservative, too hesitant. On a 3rd down play, Jack Del Rio had a chance to challenge a catch made by Michel Crabtree in which he maintained two feet inbounds and maintained possession before falling out of bounds. Del Rio didn't even bother to challenge that. Poor usage of the timeouts, poor clock management, uninspiring play calling by Bill Musgrave. The coaching staff as whole got outcoached.
Conclusion
Mathematically, the Raiders are not completely out of the playoffs, but with their schedule down the stretch, I don't see how this team can run the table and win out with Kansas City twice, Denver, Green Bay, and San Diego. That is too tough of a stretch to overcome to clinch a playoff spot. I know I'm being a downer, but it's just now all about finishing with a respectable record. Don't get me wrong, this team is close to turning the corner, but obviously they have more roster holes to fill before they can truly be a contender and this game vs. Detroit opened our eyes and put us back to reality that this team is not there yet. Right now, I just want the Raiders to just play to win the game, play with pride, and just finish strong to end the season. I don't care about playoffs, Super Bowl, or whether or not this team is staying in Oakland or moving to LA, just finish strong. If we can get some divine intervention down the stretch, then sure I'll ride the playoff bandwagon again. But it is what it is and the Raiders just gotta play with pride and play to win the game. I'll see you guys for the Titans game on Thanksgiving weekend.
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