Raiders face a difficult, unlikely road to earn spot in the playoffs
There’s still a chance.
The Raiders could make the playoffs, but the hard truth is the path to a wild- card berth includes finishing the season on a three-game winning streak. Based on the way the Raiders (7- 6) have played the past three weeks, it’s by far the most daunting challenge heading in to tonight’s game
against the Los Angeles Chargers (4-9) at Allegiant Stadium.
Judging from social media, many Raiders fans have thrown in the towel and it’s hard to blame them. Their team has gone to the playoffs one time in the previous 17 seasons and even in that year, 2016, lost quarterback Derek Carr to a broken leg on Christmas Eve.
For the remaining optimists, the easiest way for the Raiders at 10- 6 to make the playoffs is to have Cleveland (9- 4) lose twice or Baltimore (8- 5) lose once. The Browns are at the New York Jets (0-13) and then the New York Giants (5- 8) and finish at home against Pittsburgh (11-2). The
Ravens host Jacksonville (1-12) and the Giants (5-8), and end the season at Cincinnati (2-10-1).
The Raiders are presently too busy giving up touchdowns and turning the ball over to pay attention to all that, with both areas in full view in a 44-27 loss to Indianapolis.
“We understand that we could have made it easier on ourselves in the last couple of weeks going on this stretch run, and the fact is that we still have a chance,” Carr said. “If that doesn’t get you excited, if that doesn’t get you going, then I don’t know what will.”
Coach Jon Gruden attempted to jump-start his flailing defense with the post- Colts dismissal of defensive coordinator Paul Guenther in favor of line coach Rod Marinelli.
Marinelli gets the reins with precious little practice time and without four defensive starters: safety Johnathan Abram (concussion), linebacker Nicholas Morrow (concussion), cornerback Damon Arnette (concussion) and defensive end Clelin Ferrell.
The Chargers are coming off a 20-17 win over Atlanta, the same team that beat the Raiders 43- 6 in Week 12. Before that was a 45- 0 loss to Atlanta, but the Chargers have taken most everyone else to the wire, including a loss to the Raiders in Los Angeles on Nov. 8 when a game-winning touchdown was correctly overturned
with no time remaining.
Gruden, in between lamenting the myriad injuries, is trying to stay positive with his team. He wasn’t in a mood Wednesday for a post-mortem on a season that has three games remaining.
“We’re doing a lot of things well,” Gruden said. “I’m not going to have a postseason press conference right now on a short week, but it’s obvious if you look at the film. There’s a lot of good things going on. We’ve got to make some progress in some obvious areas, but I’m not going to get into all that stuff at this point.”
Beat the Chargers and the Raiders have improved their won-loss record for the third straight year, go
ing from four wins to seven to eight with two to play. Five keys to making that happen:
1 . STOP THE PARADE OF TURNOVERS >> As bad as the defense has been, Guenther would probably still have his job if the Raiders hadn’t turned it over 10 times in the last three games. Carr has thrown interceptions in four straight — they weren’t all entirely his fault — for the first time since his rookie season. And interceptions have never really been a big problem for him as much as losing fumbles.
In their three- game win streak from Weeks 10 through 12, the Raiders turned it over once and had seven takeaways (five of those came against Denver).
Carr has been more will
ing to look downfield and take changes and seeks to get back to more fundamental football.
“I just have to be able to understand that this is a team game and I can’t make it all on one throw,” Carr said. “If I can make the right decisions and put our team in the best possible situations all the time, and we’ve done some really good things, but I think we can get a little better there.” 2. RUNNING ON EMPTY >> The Raiders have dropped from fourth in the NFL in rushing to 12th in recent weeks. They were in the midst of a 572-yard three-game explosion in the first game against the Chargers and gained 162 yards on 26 carries.
Factors for the decline
have included an ankle injury to Josh Jacobs, fullback Alec Ingold playing with a fractured rib, opposing defenses that are stacking the box and daring the Raiders to run and the need to abandon the run when scores got out of hand against both Atlanta and Indianapolis. The Chargers are giving up 120.0 yards per game, ranked 21st in the NFL.
“We need to run the ball, stay committed to it,” Gruden said. “You’ve got to work hard to get the ball forward, move the ball on the ground in this league, and we’re going to continue to work at it. We’re good at it and we need to get more production from it.”
3. SHOCK THERAPY >> The Raiders aren’t going to change much under Marinelli in terms of a system of defense, especially on a short week. So why bother with the change?
Because the Raiders were getting worse instead of better, and their body language was terrible as opponents racked up touchdowns and points at an alarming rate.
There are two things a head coach can do — either cut some players or fire a coach. Do that and maybe they’ll be a correction in terms of enthusiasm and want-to. It’s been Marinelli’s message for his entire coaching career. The first move of a new defensive coordinator is often to reduce the thinking process in hopes of playing faster. Marinell is no different. It’s especially important with four starters out.
“Paul left a great base
here, now we just got to be able to make sure we’re on top of it,” Marinelli said.”If we have to hone things down, that’s what we’ll do.”
4. WHO’S GOT KEENAN ALLEN? >> Former Cal wide receiver Keenan Allen had 99 receptions for 975 yards and he’s been targeted 144 times by rookie quarterback Justin Herbert. No player in the NFL has been an intended receiver more often.
Allen will the target when its third down. Not to mention first down and second down. The Raiders have had a disturbing habit of letting receivers into the clear even when they’re clearly a primary target (Remember Travis Kelce in the second Chiefs game?)
The Raiders will give up receptions to Allen, but the shorter the better and if all possible make Herbert go somewhere else on key plays.
5. BLOCKING BOSA >> Joey Bosa , at 6- foot- 5, 280 pounds, has 7 1/2 sacks but none in the last two weeks. Bosa was out with a concussion in the first Raiders- Chargers meeting.
Bosa is liable to come off either side, and Carr’s propensity for fumbles ( he’s lost eight this season) is well known among stripminded sack artists. In six games against the Raiders, Bosa has six sacks.
T he good news for the Raiders is that Trent Brown, the Raiders right tackle, played very well in just his second complete game this season against the Colts and left tackle Kolton Miller has been solid all year.