Oakland Raiders vs. Seattle Seahawks: Full Report Card Grades
The Oakland Raiders went into Seattle with most experts expecting them to get run off the field, and after the first half, it seemed like that would be the case. But the Raiders came storming back after halftime, and the Seahawks unexpectedly found themselves with a game on their hands.
Oakland lost the game 30-24, but the team was an onside kick recovery away from going on a game-winning drive with under two minutes to go. This wasn't close because the Raiders scored in garbage time to keep it respectable. They fought their way back, and they deserved to be in it late.
The Raiders went toe-to-toe with the champions in Seattle, and they earned a chance to win this game. If Oakland had gone on to win, it would've been a surprise. It also would've been deserved.
Turnovers ultimately cost Oakland the game, and it's something that the team has to address. But it was no accident that this one was close. The Raiders played well, and there's plenty to build on for next week.
Here are the grades for each position group after what was Oakland's best all-around performance of the season.
Quarterback
1 of 11
Against Seattle, Derek Carr showed both the best and worst of his game. He did a great job getting Oakland back in the game in the second half. But the huge mistakes he made in the first half were the reason Oakland found itself in a big hole in the first place.
The Raiders were down three touchdowns by the second quarter, and Carr's two interceptions, including a pick-six, were a major reason why. He threw them on back-to-back possessions, and his carelessness forced the defense to play on short fields.
However, he came out after halftime and showed the poise he's become known for as a rookie. Despite the huge deficit, he never looked flustered, and he calmly ran the offense. He also threw two touchdowns that got Oakland within one score of beating the Super Bowl champs.
The major areas that still require improvement are first downs and points. The offense is still plagued by too many three-and-outs, which keeps the Oakland defense on the field for too long. The Raiders once again lost the possession battle, holding on to the ball for only 24:45 of game time.
The team did score 24 points, but one touchdown came on special teams. The offense produced 17, thanks in large part to short fields provided by special teams. The offense still had trouble overall moving the ball consistently. This falls on the quarterback.
Grade: C
Running Back
2 of 11
When the Raiders look back on this season, one of the first questions they're going to ask is "What happened to our running game?" There are going to be plenty of culprits, from bad play-calling to a lack of vision from the running backs. Those are both obvious now, but it doesn't seem as if anything is being done about it.
The lack of commitment to the run remains baffling. As has been the case all season, the offense lacked balance: There were 41 pass attempts to only 18 rushes, and the running backs were unable to do anything significant with their limited touches. Darren McFadden had 20 yards on 13 carries, and Maurice Jones-Drew had only two carries for minus-two yards.
A positive sign was that Latavius Murray saw action in the offense. He had no rushes, but he did have two receptions for 12 yards. He's been nonexistent in the running game, but with how bad the running backs have been, he should certainly be given some opportunities.
The one positive was that the coaches seem to finally be realizing that McFadden is still effective when he gets into the open field; he's just had trouble getting there on his own. To address this, McFadden was a bigger part of the passing game, and he responded with 47 yards on four receptions. Jones-Drew chipped in 11 yards on one catch.
But their focus should be on the ground. It was always going to be a tough game against one of the league's top run-stopping defenses. Still, the running backs have yet to be given a real chance to succeed, and their touches continue to be limited. Of course, how ineffective they've been in limited action probably has something to with this.
Grade: D
Tight End
3 of 11
Last week against the Cleveland Browns, Mychal Rivera had his best game of the season. The question was whether his performance was an aberration or if he would be able to maintain that level of play. On Sunday, he showed that last week's game could've been the breakout performance he needed to be the tight end Oakland needs him to be.
Although his total yards (38) aren't impressive, they don't reflect the impact he had on the game. He finished with a career-high eight receptions, and they all had an impact on the game. He consistently got open for first downs. Most importantly, he was the big receiving target the offense needs him to be in the red zone, and he finished the game with two touchdown receptions.
He did have some trouble holding on to the ball, but he didn't turn the ball over. Rivera had a tough matchup against arguably the NFL's best secondary, and he went out and had the best game of his career.
Grade: A-
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Wide Receiver
4 of 11
No group of wide receivers can be faulted for struggling against the Seattle secondary. This defensive unit is not going to be beaten easily. The question is whether or not you can figure out a way for the passing attack to still have an effective performance.
Against this pressure, the Oakland receivers seemed lost at times. With nothing open deep, they were unable to find anything that worked consistently in other parts of the field. The big plays weren't there, but that doesn't mean the unit couldn't have been effective. Even against Seattle, your top three receivers have to provide more than a combined seven receptions.
For all the speed and athletic ability the Raiders have at the position, none of them was able to get open consistently, and this was a major reason why the offense had so much trouble moving the ball.
Grade: D+
Offensive Line
5 of 11
Carr was under pressure throughout the game, yet the offensive line gave up only one sack, and it allowed only three official quarterback hits. It wasn't always pretty, but most of the time, it was effective.
The biggest issue is on the right side of the line. Right guard Austin Howard was on his heals much of the game, and defenders regularly broke through on his watch. At right tackle, the Raiders shuffled Khalif Barnes and Menelik Watson in and out. At some point, Oakland has to pick one and establish some consistency.
Run blocking continues to be an issue. The running game has struggled, and there are several reasons for this. One of the biggest ones is that the offensive line cannot open up running lanes. McFadden was regularly met at or behind the line of scrimmage. No running back can succeed under that pressure.
The offensive line was severely tested on Sunday. It bent, it cracked, but it never broke, and it still managed to have a decent game despite the immense pressure it faced.
Grade: C+
Defensive Line
6 of 11
The Oakland defense as a whole has been much-maligned this season. But it has played much better of late, keeping Oakland in games and giving the team a chance to win. It's time to give the unit its due, beginning with the defensive line.
Inserting Benson Mayowa into the starting lineup has made a huge difference, as has Justin Ellis' big increase in playing time. The sacks haven't shown up yet, but there's clearly more pressure being applied on the quarterback. This has proved to be effective enough to at least somewhat affect the opposition's passing game.
The run stopping has also improved. Marshawn Lynch had a good game overall, but he was kept in check on the ground. The Raiders held his production to 67 yards on 21 carries, an average of 3.2 yards per attempt. Lynch did have two rushing touchdowns, but that had a lot to do with short fields due to turnovers.
The unit definitely isn't flawless, and there's still a lot of room for improvement, but the defensive line is moving in the right direction.
Grade: B-
Linebacker
7 of 11
This was another solid game from what's turned into Oakland's best unit.
Sio Moore had 11 tackles, once again leading the team, and Khalil Mack and Miles Burris tied for second with seven apiece. Moore also came up with Oakland's one sack. All three have developed great consistency in their performance, and the defense has improved because of it.
Pass coverage continues to be an issue. Too often, the Raiders are hurt by running backs coming free out of the backfield and taking short passes for big gains. This happened again on Sunday. Lynch had five receptions for 76 yards. This production played a major role in Seattle's being able to stay on the field and produce points.
While pass coverage needs work, the unit was once again impressive against the run. Lynch was kept from a big day on the ground, and the linebackers were a major reason why. Mack did a great job of fighting his way through blocks, meeting the running back early and wrapping up on the tackle.
The linebackers have outperformed the other defensive groups, and they've emerged as the leaders on defense. The sacks and turnovers aren't there yet, but they'll come.
Grade: B
Secondary
8 of 11
If you watched or listened to the game, you might have thought that Russell Wilson had no incompletions while breaking a bunch of records. Conversely, you might have thought that the Oakland secondary had another terrible game. Neither of those is true.
Wilson actually had a pedestrian day through the air: 17-of-35 (48.6 percent completion), 179 yards (5.1 yards per attempt) and no touchdowns. The secondary played a major role in Wilson's struggles.
With Carlos Rogers out with a knee injury, DJ Hayden and T.J. Carrie were tasked with picking up the slack, and they both stepped up and met the challenge. Carrie continues to impress with his coverage ability. He has the speed and agility to keep up with whichever receiver he's covering, and he showed against Seattle an improved ability to find the ball in flight and make a play on it.
There was a lot of pressure on Hayden given that this was his first game at cornerback since last season. He had some struggles, but he played well overall. He was good in coverage, almost had a pick-six and was solid in tackling. Despite some clear signs of rust, he guaranteed himself major playing time.
The secondary struggled in the same area it has all season: on third down. Too often, Seattle receivers were wide open for first downs. However, the unit played better overall, and it was a major reason for Oakland's solid overall defensive performance.
Grade: C+
Special Teams
9 of 11
Special teams had a huge fumble early. But aside from that, they were a major reason why the Raiders came back and almost beat the champions.
The one reliable presence remains Marquette King. He averaged 52.3 yards on six punts, including three inside the 20. He did have one punt in which he out-kicked the coverage, allowing a big return. Aside from that, he was once again solid.
Sebastian Janikowski hit one of two field goals. He was good from 48 yards, but he missed a 51-yard attempt. It ultimately didn't decide the game, but it's important because Janikowski's strongest attribute is his big leg. The team knows that it has an extended field range, but that doesn't matter if the kicks don't go through the uprights. He still has plenty of leg. He now has to establish the accuracy.
Coverage and return units had their best game. The performance was grim early when, following two consecutive interceptions by Carr, Carrie fumbled on a kick return, giving Seattle the opportunity to easily extend its lead.
However, Carrie later made up for this with a big punt return that set up Carr's first touchdown pass to Rivera. Aside from the fumble, he was once again dangerous as a returner.
But the biggest play came in the third quarter. Oakland was down three touchdowns, and the game looked like it might already be over. But the Raiders blocked a punt, and Brice Butler recovered it in the end zone for a touchdown. This changed the entire tone of the game, and the Raiders went on to score 14 unanswered points, taking the score from 24-3 to 24-17.
Before that play, it looked like the Seahawks would run away with it. After that play, it turned into a game decided in the final minutes. Credit for this huge swing in momentum goes to Oakland's special teams.
Grade: B
Coaching
10 of 11
The Oakland defense has received a lot of criticism, but it's the offense that hasn't done its part to earn a win. Offensive coordinator Greg Olson has been unable to figure out a way to consistently move the ball, get first downs and get into the end zone.
The Raiders' game-opening drive lasted 12 plays, but it stalled after 50 yards and ended in a field goal. They also had a seven-play, 31-yard drive that ended in a missed field goal and a nine-play, 64-yard drive that resulted in a touchdown. Aside from that, the Raiders didn't have a drive longer than five plays.
Oakland's two touchdown drives were 64 and 30 yards. The offense was able to score more than 14 points for only the second time this season, but that was thanks to good field position provided by the defense and special teams. It remains unable to sustain long drives.
Defensive coordinator Jason Tarver deserves credit for the work that he's done. His defense has played well enough for Oakland to have a win—probably at least two or three—and it's the reason why Oakland has been in games. The offense continues to be ineffective for long stretches of games, forcing the defense to be out there too often, but Tarver's unit has responded to the pressure.
Despite the turnovers and short fields, the defense was extremely effective deep in its own territory. It held Seattle to four field-goal attempts on promising drives, and it was able to get off the field and get the ball back to the offense throughout the second half.
Interim head coach Tony Sparano has said that the biggest issue for the team has been playing well in all facets at the same time. Today, the defense and special teams did their part, but the offense once again struggled. It's on him to figure out a way to get the offense to at least be efficient.
Grade: C+
Final Grades
11 of 11
| Positional Unit | Overall Grade |
| QB | C |
| RB | D |
| TE | A- |
| WR | D+ |
| OL | C+ |
| DL | B- |
| LB | B |
| Secondary | C+ |
| Special Teams | B |
| Coaching | C+ |
| Cumulative Grade | C+ |
The Oakland defense has been ripped all season, but it's time to stop the blind criticism. The Raiders had a chance to beat the defending Super Bowl champions in one of the toughest places to play in the league, and it was because of the defense's performance.
Offensively, it continues to be a frustrating series of promising drives followed by periods of complete ineffectiveness. While the criticism of the defense has been the loudest, it has been the offense that hasn't done enough to win games. No matter what the defense does, the Raiders won't pick up that first win until the offense scores enough points.
The difference-maker in the game was the three turnovers. Oakland can't afford to shoot itself in the foot, especially not that many times. This would've been a much different game if the Raiders had been more careful with the ball.
Most expected this one to be a laugher. Instead, it turned into a nail-biter down the stretch. The Raiders are now 0-8, but they've played better than that, especially since the bye week. As discouraging as the season has been, the Raiders are on the right track. As long as they continue to build on the small success and moral victories, that first win will come.
Unless otherwise noted, all stats taken from ESPN.com.
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