Raiders report card: Mariota’s heroics can’t prevent painful loss to Chargers
At least they’re consistent — Raiders defense can’t hold up when it matters and playoff hopes are dashed
PASS OFFENSE: B
Admit it. You’re stunned at how well Marcus Mariota played in relief of Derek Carr, who left with a groin strain on the last possession of the first quarter. He completed 17 of 28 passes for 226 yards and his 35-yard touchdown pass to Darren Waller was a dime. A perfect throw. He had one interception, which cost the Raiders a scoring opportunity but didn’t give one to the Chargers even after Chris Harris returned it 51 yards. Waller caught nine passes for 150 yards and the touchdown and awaits the Pro Bowl call. Josh Jacobs had three catches for 38 yards, Nelson Agholor four for 49. They continue to get little to nothing out of Bryan Edwards. Mariota wasn’t sacked and the pass protection was solid. Mariota started to get a little off-target late, but for a guy who hadn’t played in more than a year, it was above and beyond the call. Carr was 3 of 5 for 53 yards before being injured.
Mariota again. He had 88 yards on nine carries. Eight of his nine runs went for first downs. The Raiders had 13 rushing first downs in all. It was a struggle for Josh Jacobs, who had 26 carries for 76 yards even though he had a 20-yard run early and a 12-yard run in overtime. The Raiders’ inability to run near the goal line, their bread and butter, helped cost them the game. Devontae Booker’s role has been reduced of late and he had three carries for 12 yards. In all, the Raiders rushed for 173 yards on 41 attempts. It was the most yards rushing for the Raiders since gaining 203 on Nov. 15 against Denver, and accomplished in an entirely new way.
PASS DEFENSE: https://rlc.instructure.com/eportfolios/238/Demon_Slayer_Kimetsu_No_Yaiba_The_Movie/HK_____2020
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Blown coverages at the end of the first half and overtime cost the Raiders dearly. When the Raiders went three-and-out on a possession with less than two minutes to go in the first half with the score 10-10, Justin Herbert had consecutive passes of 25 yards to K.J. Hill against Daryl Worley and 26 yards to Tyron Johnson for a touchdown to make it 17-10. In overtime, after Trayvon Mullen got called for his fourth penalty of the game, Herbert hit Jalen Guyton for 53 yards over Keisean Nixon to the 2 to set up the game-winning touchdown. Chargers receivers were open all night even with Keenan Allen and Mike Williams hobbling. Herbert avoided trouble, with one big sack by Kendal Vickers helping take the Chargers out of field goal position. Mullen wound up with 58 yards on four penalties.
RUN DEFENSE: https://unworldoceansday.org/user/7596
The Chargers averaged just 3.3 yards per carry, gaining 96 yards, after the Raiders had been gashed for 200-plus in their previous two games. Austin Ekeler had 60 yards on 13 carries and one of those went for 27 yards. The Colts had two rushing touchdowns, both from a yard out. Raekwon McMillan made some good plays against the run. Nick Kwiatkoski finished with 10 tackles. Carl Nassib had a pair of tackles for losses after being a healthy scratch in the previous two games.
SPECIAL TEAMS: https://springfield.instructure.com/eportfolios/2563/Kimetsu_No_yaiba_sub_chinese/_Kimetsu_no_Yaiba_Mugen_ResshaHen2020
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One huge mistake, and a rare one. On fourth-and-5 from the Raiders 40-yard line, A.J. Cole shanked a 19-yard punt, setting up the Chargers on the 49-yard line. The Raiders defense is bad enough without setting up the opponent in plus territory. The Chargers, of course, scored quickly on the Herbert passes to Hill and Johnson for a touchdown and a 17-10 lead at the half. Cole’s only other punt went for 56 yards, but he had another rough moment. When Daniel Carlson lined up for a 65-yard pipe dream field goal at the end of regulation, Cole mishandled the snap. Carlson probably wouldn’t have made it (it would have set an NFL record), but we’ll never know. Carlson connected on two-point blank 23-yard field goals. Hunter Renfrow got one punt return, gained 16 yards and paid for it with a concussion on a helmet hit that wasn’t penalized.
COACHING: https://rlc.instructure.com/eportfolios/250/Demon_Slayer_Mugen_Train/__2020
On one hand, the way coach Jon Gruden adjusted the offense on the fly from Carr to Mariota was something to behold. They completely — and successfully — changed their attack and still put up big yardage numbers and 27 points. But the fourth-and-5 call in overtime to take the points and put the defense on the field had the ending probably every Raiders fan was expecting. Gruden said they would have gone for it had they been closer. With a quarterback as mobile as Mariota, there was at least a 50-50 chance at a run-pass play working out. Certainly better percentages than putting the NFL’s most porous defense on the field, it would seem. Defensively, hard to fault interim coordinator Rod Marinelli on a short week. He got the run defense looking better, but not all the effort and hustle in the world can make up for being unable to rush the passer or hang with receivers. The Raiders were playing with backups in many cases — backups to players who haven’t been all that good on defense to begin with.
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