Hold on: Despite drops, there’s hope
Ten games into the season, on the brink of Thanksgiving, head coach Jack Del Rio is running out of obvious solutions. So maybe the Raiders will seek a novel approach to their predicament.
Take all the dropped passes, for example.
“We’ve got some new balls we’ll be using in the weight room — throw it off the wall and catch it,” Del Rio joked during his weekly news conference Monday. “We’re going to try just about everything. …
“I’m shocked we’re not catching the ball at a higher rate, as receivers and as defensive backs. We’ve had our hands on enough balls.”
Sunday’s 33-8 loss to New England left the Raiders at 4-6 and offered a harsh reminder that they are not nearly ready to challenge the NFL’s top teams. But the AFC flows with mediocrity, so Oakland remains in postseason contention.
The Raiders trail division-leading Kansas City by two games and stand only one game out of a tie for the second and final wild-card spot. That’s why Del Rio, while acknowledging the need for his team to play much better, also insisted there’s “a lot of hope” as he peers ahead.
“I think it’s close and I think we’re capable,” he said. “We just have to find that spark where it
happens.”
Before the Raiders turn their attention to Sunday’s home game against struggling Denver, they tried to glean some lessons from the defeat to Tom Brady and Co. They discovered another avalanche of self-imposed problems.
Oakland receivers added to their 2017 collection of dropped passes. Plus, wide receiver Seth Roberts fumbled at the New England 3-yard line in the final minute of the first half, when it looked as if the Raiders might trim their deficit to 14-7.
Instead, the Patriots took possession and made a lastsecond field goal to stretch their lead to 17-0 at halftime. Then they zoomed downfield on their first drive of the second half, moving ahead 24-0.
Brady exposed an Oakland secondary that has struggled all season. Yes, the Raiders have weathered several injuries among their defensive backs — from rookies Gareon Conley and Obi Melifonwu to veteran David Amerson — but the secondary has not played well, plain and simple.
“I think that’s fair to say,” Del Rio said. “That’s something we’re working on. Two of our top prospects (Conley and Melifonwu) missed the first half of the year, and those are guys we were counting on heavily. … But our secondary hasn’t played as well as it needs to play.”
Conley, already on injured reserve with a lingering shin problem, announced via Instagram that he will have surgery. Del Rio said the procedure gives the Raiders the best chance to have Conley at full strength next season.
Melifonwu, meantime, was drafted as a safety but collected playing time at cornerback Sunday, given his team’s issues at the position. He will remain in the mix at cornerback, according to Del Rio.