Offense’s struggles lead to frustration
PHILADELPHIA — As the turnovers mounted in the second half Monday night, so did the feeling of frustration for the Raiders’ offense, right tackle Marshall Newhouse said.
“Just a sense of, ‘Man, why can’t we get this thing rolling?’ ” Newhouse said after the Raiders’ 19-10 loss to the Eagles on Christmas.
It’s a question that has dogged the Raiders throughout their fall from last year’s 12-win team to the current 6-9 record: How did an offense that was their strength last season fall so starkly in one year? Monday’s loss provided a new wrinkle while adhering to the larger theme.
The Raiders went into cold and windy Philadelphia wanting to play what quarterback Derek Carr called “big-boy ball” — loading their offensive line with an extra tackle, two or sometimes three tight ends and running downhill at the Eagles. And for much of the night, the Raiders succeeded, putting up 137 rushing yards on Philadelphia’s top-ranked run defense.
“It just felt like there was very little that we couldn’t do,” Newhouse said. “We just didn’t finish enough in the end zone, like you need to do against what is a playoff team. That’s kind of been the story too often this year. Just things left out on the field.”
That represented a new hiccup because finishing drives is something the Raiders’ offense has done well this season. Oakland went into Monday’s game having scored touchdowns on 64.5 percent of its trips to the red zone, the third-highest rate in the league.
Getting there has been the problem.
The Raiders entered Monday with 31 red-zone trips, tied for the fewest in the league, and down from 56 last season. For as well as they moved the ball at times, the Raiders ran a play from inside the Eagles’ 20 on just one of 15 possessions, and squandered another chance on Jalen Richard’s fumble at the 16 after an 8-yard run.
It was one of five turnovers for the Raiders’ offense, which started six drives from its 40 or better and scored on none of them.
“It’s come down to the end, and we have not made plays,” Carr said. “We have not done what we needed to do to win the games. That’s pretty much how our year has been. We haven’t done enough. And it’s all in the little details of everyone’s assignment.”
Head coach Jack Del Rio seemed to echo that sentiment, saying: “There’s a fine line between being really good and being where we are right now.”
Del Rio made a point of not criticizing the offense Monday night. He also declined to delve into the performance of Carr, who had as many completions (15) as the Raiders had possessions. Del Rio did not address reporters Tuesday, as the Raiders were off before starting preparations for Sunday’s finale against the Chargers in Carson (Los Angeles County).
With offensive coordinator Todd Downing’s status already a source of speculation, though, it is worth noting that the one coordinator change the Raiders made this season appeared to bring positive results.
In five games since the Raiders replaced defensive coordinator Ken Norton Jr. with John Pagano, their defense has allowed an average of 287 yards per game while recording five interceptions and 16 sacks. The unit had no interceptions and 14 sacks in its first 10 games this season.
Pagano’s defense has had a run of odd circumstances, facing Denver quarterback Paxton Lynch in his first start this season, the Giants without Eli Manning, the Cowboys without Ezekiel Elliott and the Eagles without Carson Wentz. Still, after holding Philadelphia’s third-ranked offense to a season-low 216 yards, Del Rio was asked whether that’s the type of progress about which the Raiders’ defense can feel good.
“Damn right it is,” Del Rio said. “They’re doing things the way they need to be done and gaining confidence each and every week. And I think they know that.”
Del Rio emphasized the Raiders lost Monday night “as a team.” Too often this year, Newhouse said, the whole has not been good enough.
“There’s no lack of effort, no lack of passion and fire from the guys, but an all-around thing of execution,” Newhouse said. “And we haven’t done enough of it all together at the same time.
“When we do, we’re really dangerous. But potential is just kind of that vomit word. Because it doesn’t matter if it doesn’t come together.”