Listless Raiders look like NFL’s worst team in humiliating defeat
SANTACLARA a miserable Raiders » If you season didn’t could think get any worse, think again.
Somehow, the Raiders stooped to even lower lows against one of two teams that entered Week 9 with a worse record than their miserable 1- 6 mark. The Raiders made a quarterback starting his first regular season game look like a potential Hall of Famer, and in the process cemented themselves as the worst team in the NFL.
Yes, the New York Giants are also 1-7. But they can’t be worse than Jon Gruden’s Oakland Raiders
34-3 loss on Thursday night prime time dropped the Raiders to 1-7. Yes, the eyes of America— or those duped into watching — witnessed a team with no hope, no reason for optimism and no resemblance of an actual NFL franchise.
Gruden has been caught barking at defensive coordinator Paul
Guenther on the sideline two weeks in a row now, and with reason. Their defense is an atrocity, allowing more yards per play than any team in NFL history, according to NFL Network. Their offense wasn’t much better.
Gruden has praised his team’s effort in the past, but how will that be possible after an utter humiliation at the hands of the 49ers? The 49ers!
“I know it’s not looking pretty now,” Gruden said after the game. “I’ve heard a lot of negativity the last six or seven months, and rightfully so. But we’re going to build a championship football team here.”
To top it all off, a vicious fight between Raiders and 49ers fans broke out in the stands midway through the fourth quarter. After taking a punch, a man in a Marshawn Lynch jersey fell backward over a row of seats. That seemed like a fitting way for the Raiders to go out.
Here are a couple takeaways from the latest Raiders’ letdown, if your eyes can handle them. CARR HELPLESS IN THE
POCKET » The Raiders tried Kolton Miller, Kelechi Osemele and Ian Silberman at left tackle. They tried Silberman and Brandon Parker at right tackle. They tried Osemele and Jon Feliciano at left guard. Nothing worked. Derek Carr, a week after going untouched in the pocket against a Colts pass rush that entered Week 8 tied for fourth in the league in sacks, had no chance against the 49ers. He was sacked four times in the first half, the most sacks a Raiders quarterback endured in the first half since Bruce Gradkowski in 2010 against the Texans.
The 49ers entered Thursday tied for 25th in the NFL in sacks and finished with six sacks of Carr before he exited. They finished with seven for the game, the same number the Raiders have all season. Carr had only taken six sacks twice in 69 career games prior, against the Chiefs in 2015 and against the Seahawks three weeks ago.
The dominant Raiders offensive lines of 2016 and 2017 are so far gone Carr can’t recall what they look like, and he has absolutely no chance in the pocket because of it. RAIDERS MAKE DEBUT STARTER LOOK LIKE PROVEN VETERAN » Nick Mullens was so good against the Raiders that Twitter gave him a blue check mark ... during the game.
He hadn’t taken a meaningful NFL snap before Thursday night, but the third- stringer completed 16- of-22 passes for 262 yards and three touchdowns against a porous Raiders defense.
Mullens marched right down the field on the first two drives of his career for touchdown passes, showing there’s nothing better to ease you into your first regular season action than an Oakland Raiders defense. THE RAIDERS STILL CAN’T DEFEND TIGHT ENDS » Last week the Raiders allowed a combined 10 catches, 133 yards and three touchdowns to three Colts tight ends. Each caught a touchdown.
Entering Thursday, according to Pro Football Focus’ Austin Gayle, Raiders linebackers allowed 11.4 yards per target and a 154 passer rating when targeted, both highest in the league.
George Kittle, the 49ers tight end and arguably the most underrated at the position in the NFL, went off. Predictably.
The Raiders couldn’t figure out how to defend tight ends during their short week to nobody’s surprise, and Kittle tallied four catches for 108 yards and a touchdown, including a one-handed catch over the middle that turned into a 71-yard gain setting up his own receiving touchdown. THE RAIDERS NEED A NEW
PUNTER » Johnny Townsend averaged only 36.5 yards per punt on six punts, continuing the rookie fifthrounder’s struggles.
Townsend entered the week 26th in the league in average yardage with 42.9 yards per punt. He’s now tied for 29th in the league with a mere six punts downed inside the 20-yard line.
The Raiders need something better than this. CARR BENCHED FOR A. J. MC
CARRON » For the first time since a 52- 0 loss to the St. Louis Rams in 2014, Carr was removed from a game. McCarron took his first snaps at a Raider, and he couldn’t convert a 4thand-1 quarterback sneak in his own territory on his debut drive.