Even after inspiring win, a tough road to playoffs
Remember, they still have a long way to go.
Thursday night’s wild, dramatic victory over Kansas City sent the Raiders prancing euphorically into their open weekend. That was a lot better than the alternative: slinking out of the Coliseum with a five-game losing streak, their playoff hopes nearly extinguished.
Now, at 3-4, the Raiders have a reasonable chance to return to the postseason — but they must quickly right their unsteady ship, and the upcoming schedule does them no favors.
In its final nine games, Oakland will make three visits to the Eastern time zone and two
to the Central time zone. The Raiders do not play at the Coliseum again until Nov. 26.
Between now and then, they will play at Buffalo, spend a week practicing in Sarasota, Fla., play in Miami, enjoy their bye week and then head to Mexico City on Nov. 19 — to face Tom Brady and the reigning Super Bowl-champion New England Patriots. Not easy. Each of the next four Raiders opponents is at .500 or better. The overall record of their remaining foes going into the Monday night game is 33-25, and the Raiders must face two of the league’s top teams on the road: the Chiefs on Dec. 10 and the Eagles on Christmas night.
Also worth pointing out: The Raiders probably need to win seven of their last nine games to reach the playoffs. That would leave them at 10-6, and every team to post a record of 10-6 or better last season made the playoffs.
Only two of the five 9-7 teams advanced.
At any rate, the Raiders need to play more like they did in toppling the Chiefs (bold, dynamic, risk-taking) and less like they did during their previous four games (meek, cautious, uptight).
“Two-and-five did not sound good,” quarterback Derek Carr said after Thursday night’s comeback victory. “That made our stomach hurt.”
Offensive coordinator Todd Downing, who absorbed criticism when the Raiders scored only 53 points during their four-game skid, deserves some credit for their sudden revival. Most notably, Carr took more shots downfield than he did earlier in the season, when he often threw mostly safe, short passes.
Downing got wide receiver Amari Cooper involved early in creative ways, sent Carr on rollouts to avoid pressure and prominently featured tight end Jared Cook (six catches, 107 yards). Carr threw 52 passes against the Chiefs, as the Raiders de-emphasized their running game, given their secondhalf deficit and running back Marshawn Lynch’s ejection.
So will this become the offense’s new identity? It will be interesting to see how the Raiders attack Buffalo on Sunday, especially with the likelihood of Lynch serving an NFL-imposed suspension for making contact with an official; he plans to appeal his one-game ban to the league.
And the Raiders clearly need to shore up their defense if they want to make a serious playoff run. Linebacker NaVorro Bowman will help against the run (and with his leadership), but Oakland remains vulnerable in the secondary.
The coaches are rightly reluctant to put cornerback Sean Smith on the field, David Amerson is struggling mightily and Gareon Conley could land on injured reserve with his lingering shin injury. Maybe Lester Hayes is available?
Head coach Jack Del Rio insisted his team didn’t lose faith, even as the losses piled up.
“We really continue to believe,” Del Rio said. “We understand we haven’t done things we set out to do. I think the key is the ability to have a mature approach and be accountable but not lose your spirit, your determination or your belief.”