There’s nothing shameful about losing to a good team, and make no mistake, the Houston Texans are a very, very good team. However, it’s frustrating when it seems like victory was only inches away, and the Raiders simply blew it. After being up 21-13, the Raiders fell apart, and ended up losing 27-24. However! I’m still here to find some silver (and black) linings about this loss.
The Silver (And Black) Lining: Raiders Week 7
Not Carr’s Fault
After a couple of rough weeks, it would be difficult to blame Derek Carr for this loss. Carr went 18/30 for 285 yards and three touchdowns. Say what you will about the rest of the team, but the controversial quarterback played quite well in a difficult loss on the road. In a way, this season will always be cursed with the memory of what could’ve been, if only a helmet wasn’t Antonio Brown’s only problem above the shoulders.
The Road Trip is Over
Remember that loss against the Chiefs earlier this season? The one where they gave up 28 points in one quarter? The Raiders really haven’t been home since then. Sure, the schedule says they hosted the Bears, but that game took place in London, not Oakland. Well, that’s over. This week, the most unfair road trip in recent memory comes to a close as the Raiders host, yes host, Matthew Stafford and the Detroit Lions in the Black Hole on Sunday. The Raiders went from Oakland to Minnesota to Indianapolis to London to Wisconsin to Houston, and now they’re back in sweet, sweet Californ-ia for the next three weeks.
No Such Thing As Easy But…
There’s no such thing as an easy win but… the Detroit Lions are the most challenging team the Oakland Raiders will play for a while, and they’re 3-3-1. The Raiders face the Lions, the Chargers (3-5), the Bengals (0-8), and the Jets (1-6) before facing the Kansas City Chiefs, who may or may not have Patrick Mahomes back by then. I’m not saying the Raiders should win all of these games, but it’s much harder to imagine them losing all of them.
This Game was Close
I know nobody wants to hear this, but this game was close. The Houston Texans are a good ball team, with one of the best young quarterbacks in all of professional football, and they were so, so, so close to stealing a win. If the team successfully sacks Deshaun Watson in the redzone, or if Tyrell Williams holds onto that ball down the field, they’re probably victorious right now, and I don’t have to write this article. It’s a game of inches, and the Raiders just came up short this week.
