Instead of building momentum towards a playoff berth the Raiders run into a wall in Estadio Azteca.
It was supposed to be a winnable game for the Oakland Raiders against a “beatable” defense, instead, the Silver and Black was exposed in the altitude of Mexico City.
Two weeks of preparation wasn’t nearly enough to help the Raiders against the New England Patriots but after such a display would a month have made a difference?
The offense was, well, unimpressive and that’s putting it lightly. Something seems off, what happened to last year’s squad that found itself on the brink of greatness, more importantly who’s truly to blame for such regression in a season that started with so much promise.
Against the Patriots the Raiders averaged 4.8 yards per play as Scott Bair of NBC Sports Bay Area pointed out via his Twitter, so is it safe say the Todd Downing experiment has failed?
Raiders: 4.8 yards per play (not good) Patriots: 7.2 yards per play (far better)
— Scott Bair (@ScottBairNFL) November 20, 2017
The defense floundered in the altitude which once again puts into question whether Ken Norton Jr. is hurting this unit more than helping. The decision to play rookie Obi Melifonwu is already coming into question but if one steps back they’ll realize neither Norton nor head coach Jack Del Rio had much choice. The team needed a spark and perhaps, the rookie might have provided it but alas, it made no difference as the “interception-less” streak continues.
The Raiders have now tied the NFL record for the longest interception drought. 49ers also went 10 straight without a pick over two seasons in the late '70s
— Scott Bair (@ScottBairNFL) November 20, 2017
This week is going to be a rough one regardless of your take on all of this. Whether it’s the team’s downward spiral or the fact that at some point the fact that Marshawn Lynch stood up for the Mexican Anthem and not the American one is sure to get coverage.
What’s truly amazing in all this however, is that the season is far from “over” as this team can still make a playoff appearance. Appearance, because right now this team wouldn’t do much damage in the playoffs at least not in its current state.
It’s going to be a rough week for Raider Nation.
