Oakland Raiders vs. Kansas City Chiefs: Full Report Card Grades for Oakland
The Oakland Raiders haven't had a winning streak since October of 2012, when they won two games in a row. They had a chance to match that meager accomplishment on Sunday, but they were never able to get going. In a matter of minutes in the third quarter, they went from four points down to 18 down, and they could never muster a comeback. The result was a 31-13 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.
It was a strange game in the sense that even with the Chiefs stretching the lead, it never felt as if they were dominating. It never looked as if they were clearly the better team. It seemed more as if the Raiders could do nothing to win. Almost nothing that went well last week showed up this week. Kansas City just had to get out of the way.
Penalties were a big issue, as the Raiders finished with 10 for 75 yards. Justin Tuck, who himself committed a big penalty, felt that this played a big role in the final outcome. In regard to the penalties, he said after the game that "we [the Raiders] aided in our demise today," per the San Francisco Chronicle's Vic Tafur.
The loss was especially disappointing because, despite its record, this isn't an impressive Chiefs team. The Chiefs avoid big mistakes, but that's about it. Aside from that, it's a team that hopes for wins rather than trying to create them.
The Raiders could've come out as the aggressors, but they ultimately weren't able to develop any rhythm. They gave up too many big plays, couldn't come up with any of their own and the game eventually got away from them. Oakland did more harm to itself than Kansas City, and the grades reflect that.
Quarterback
1 of 11
It was another rough outing for rookie Derek Carr. He was under duress for four quarters, which never allowed him to get comfortable in the pocket and develop any sort of rhythm. This affected him when he did have time to take shots downfield. He missed most of his receivers deep, never really giving them a chance to make plays.
It was a busy day for him as he threw 56 passes. Unfortunately, he only completed 27 of them (48.2 completion percentage), and his one touchdown pass came in the game's final minute, when the game had long since been over.
It should be noted that despite the number of passes he threw and the fact that the Chiefs were waiting for him to throw, he finished the day without an interception. However, he did lose a fumble when he couldn't handle the snap. It's not the first time that miscommunication between him and the center has led to a fumble, but this one was especially costly, as the game was still within reach.
Despite the poor stats and the final score, Carr didn't play that poorly. But he certainly didn't play well. This has to be a learning experience for him. There are going to be games when he's going to face pressure from a good pass rush, and chances to make plays are going to be few and far between. When one of those rare opportunities does come up, he has to make it count.
And he certainly can't make his life more difficult by turning the ball over.
Grade: D+
Running Back
2 of 11
If you've read these postgame reviews throughout the season (wait...of course you have!) you know that there's been a common theme when grading the running backs: a lack of opportunities. As the season progressed, you could almost excuse the play-calling, given how ineffective Darren McFadden and Maurice Jones-Drew proved to be. But that wasn't an excuse against Kansas City.
Latavius Murray got the first start of his career, and he once again looked like the right man for the job. He averaged 4.9 yards per carry, including a long of 25. Unfortunately, he only rushed the ball 12 times for a total of 59 yards. The game eventually turned into a blowout, and the offense went pass-heavy to try and close the gap. But Murray stopped getting carries long before the score got away.
Even McFadden got in on the action, turning two carries into 13 yards. The Raiders were finding success on the ground with both Murray and McFadden. But a combined 14 carries isn't going to cut it.
The final stats aren't too impressive, but the players don't call the plays. The offense was completely unbalanced—56 pass attempts to only 16 called running plays—and that falls on the coaches (more on that later). The running backs did what they could with the touches they were given. They just didn't get enough of them.
Grade: C-
Tight End
3 of 11
Mychal Rivera had the best game of his career last week. And early on against the Chiefs, it looked as if he was on his way to a similar performance. But after three catches on Oakland's first drive, he failed to make an impact the rest of the game.
Statistically, Rivera was productive. He totaled seven catches, but they amounted to only 39 yards. Unlike last week, he was unable to produce any impact plays. The Raiders finished 5-of-18 on third down, an area in which the tight end has to play an important role. Unfortunately, he was unable get open often enough, which was a major reason why the offense couldn't move the ball with any consistency.
It was an opportunity to grow as a professional for Rivera. He was a focus of the offense early, but he seemed to grow frustrated later in the game as the defense keyed in on him and made it a point to stop him. If he hopes to be a major part of the offense's plans every game, it's something he's going to have to get used to.
Grade: D+
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Wide Receiver
4 of 11
If you look at Andre Holmes' and James Jones' final stat lines, it doesn't look too bad. Holmes finished with five catches for 70 yards, and Jones totaled 57 yards and a touchdown on eight catches. The problem is that it took 23 targets to come up with 13 catches. Some of those were not on them, but too many of them were drops.
Both receivers had passes hit them in the hands that they should have come up with. The drops were especially hurtful given the way the offense was struggling overall. This was especially evident with Jones, who's usually the team's most sure-handed pass-catcher.
Holmes also had a big drop on a crossing route in which he ran clear across two defenders. If he would've pulled the pass in, he had a good chance to pick up major yardage after the catch. Instead, in clanked off his hands and fell harmlessly to the grass.
Brice Butler continues to be the new Marcel Reece: He makes plays in the few opportunities that he gets, but the coaches refuse to use him more often. They continue to be inexplicably fascinated with Vincent Brown (two catches, 16 yards) and Kenbrell Thompkins (no catches on six targets), neither of whom has done anything in a game to inspire so much confidence, much less take snaps away from Butler.
It was a frustrating game for a unit that's talented but has no true No. 1. The Raiders have to make it a priority to find one this offseason.
Grade: D
Offensive Line
5 of 11
The offensive line was knocked off balance early by the aggressive Kansas City pass rush, and it was never able to recover.
The whole unit struggled, but right tackle Khalif Barnes looked the most overwhelmed. He was on his heels all game, as he had no answer for Justin Houston, giving up a sack and getting called for two false starts in the first half. Left tackle Donald Penn didn't fare much better, as he too struggled to find a way to stand up against the pass rush and was regularly pushed back into Carr.
Carr missed on some throws, but his struggles had a lot to do with the fact that he was under pressure most of the game. The offensive line gave up four sacks, and there would've been more if not for Carr finding ways to escape pressure and get rid of the ball.
The run blocking was good, but this didn't play too much of a factor, as Oakland only called 16 running plays. It was a pass-heavy day for the offense, and the offensive line crumbled under the pressure.
Grade: D
Defensive Line
6 of 11
For some reason Jamaal Charles just can't seem to have big games on the ground against this Oakland line. He didn't on Sunday, finishing with 52 yards and no touchdowns. It helped that he was in and out of the game due to a shot he took to the head, and he ended up sitting much of the second half after the Chiefs built a big lead.
But it was still a decent performance against the run as Oakland held Kansas City to 3.4 yards a carry on 27 attempts.
Where the unit struggled the most was in the pass rush. Ricky Lumpkin came up with a sack, but it was about the only thing the unit managed against Alex Smith. The Kansas City quarterback was comfortable in the pocket most of the game, and he had plenty of time to pick his shots.
The biggest play for the unit occurred in the third quarter. Tight end Travis Kelce caught a short pass, but the ball popped loose after he was hit. C.J. Wilson was credited with a fumble recovery as he picked the ball out of the air and returned it 20 yards to the red zone. But he was injured on the play, and he did not return. To make matters worse, the offense was unable to move the ball and had to settle for a field goal.
Kansas City had a clear plan of attack to counter Oakland's pass rush: quick, short passes. It worked early, neutralizing the rush. Smith got more and more time as the game progressed, and the defensive line became less and less effective.
Grade: D+
Linebacker
7 of 11
The linebackers have basically been a two-man unit this season. Sio Moore and Khalil Mack are the playmakers, and Miles Burris has been left out of position at middle linebacker to not make any major mistakes. With Moore out, that left only Mack to carry the load, and it proved too much.
Mack was Oakland's leading tackler with six, including one for a loss. He was also disruptive as a pass-rusher, drawing a holding call and forcing the Chiefs offensive line to account for him all game.
Unfortunately, he got no help from Moore's replacement, Ray-Ray Armstrong, who played hard but looked like a depth player. Armstrong spent most of the game behind the play.
Burris gave his critics plenty of ammunition: He missed tackles, couldn't get to the running backs early enough and he got torched in pass coverage.
He was at his worst on Knile Davis' 70-yard touchdown catch. Burris went to his right to cover the running back coming out of the backfield. But he overcommitted and let Davis run right by him into the space behind the line. Once he caught the ball and took off down the field, Burris had no chance of recovering.
It was a tough game to grade given that the Raiders had only one true starter on the field. But whoever's on the field has to do the job. And this group was unable to.
Grade: D
Secondary
8 of 11
With the defensive front struggling, the Oakland secondary was asked to step up and play a bigger role in stopping the Kansas City receivers. This was a chance to make a statement against an unimpressive Chiefs passing attack, but the secondary was unable to hold its own.
D.J. Hayden and T.J. Carrie had been playing better of late, but they looked like young, inexperienced cornerbacks against Kansas City. Too often they misread routes and found themselves chasing receivers after the catch.
Dwayne Bowe and Albert Wilson each had three catches for 69 yards. Those stats don't jump off the screen, but they also include big plays. Bowe had a long reception of 37 yards, and Albert had a long of 48. The big plays kept the defense off balance and on the field, and they were the result of Smith being able to regularly find open receivers while completing 18 passes.
Charles Woodson and Brandian Ross fell into a situation no safety wants to be in. When they moved up toward the line, the Chiefs threw over the top. When they dropped back, the Chiefs went underneath again. They were never able to find a way to consistently be effective, as they were constantly a step behind the play.
The one positive is that the Chiefs receivers entered the game without a single touchdown reception on the season, and they left it the same way. But that doesn't mean they didn't have a major impact.
Grade: D+
Special Teams
9 of 11
Sebastian Janikowski connected on both of his field-goal attempts, including a 53-yarder that he made look easy. He was limited by the offense's inability to move the ball, and trips into Kansas City territory were few on the day. But he came through when his number was called.
Marquette King had another busy day, finishing with 11 punts while averaging 43.4 yards per attempt. Unfortunately, he fell victim to Oakland's struggles in punt coverage. The Raiders allowed an 81-yard punt return for a touchdown to De'Anthony Thomas.
Kick coverage wasn't much better, giving up an average of 33 yards on two kick returns. It looked in recent weeks as if it was just a matter of time before the Raiders gave up a touchdown on a kick or punt return, and it finally happened against the Chiefs. Field position is always at a premium for this team, and special teams have struggled to help in this department.
Oakland continues to struggle to find an answer in the return game, particularly on punts. T.J. Carrie averaged 24.3 yards on three kick returns, but he seemed unsure of how to handle punts. The Raiders didn't help themselves in this department, which led to several offensive drives starting inside their own 20.
Coverage and punt returns continue to be a problem. The team will need to find an answer this offseason. And this will likely include a new special teams coach.
Grade: D
Coaching
10 of 11
This entire coaching staff will be gone next season and with good reason. Even when the solution to a problem is staring the coaches in the face, they refuse to acknowledge it.
This is particularly true on offense. Latavius Murray was finding room and making an impact, yet offensive coordinator Greg Olson refused to commit to him. Instead, he chose to have his quarterback throw 56 passes despite it being glaringly evident that the offensive line was struggling against the pass rush.
How do you counter an overaggressive pass rush? You run at it, and you look for quick, short passes. I know that, and that's based on zero experience as a football coach. It's baffling that Olson doesn't.
Instead, he opted to have Carr drop back and wait for longer downfield routes to develop. Rather than go with play-calling that took advantage of what the Kansas City defense was doing, Olson played right into it.
The frustrating part was that the offense had the right idea to start the game by going to Marcel Reece and Mychal Rivera early, as well as handing the ball off often to Murray. But the play-calling soon reverted to what we've seen most of the season, and the offense was once again ineffective.
Defensive coordinator Jason Tarver has been placed in an impossible situation. His unit is lacking talent, and the defense has also had to deal with an offense that can't score points and doesn't pull its own weight. Even when the defense does get a stop, it finds itself right back out on the field.
Tarver is going to be gone at season's end along with the rest of the coaching staff. But of all the coaches currently on the staff, he's the only one who's shown that he deserves another season. He'll be somewhere else next year, and that team will be happy to have him.
Interim head coach Tony Sparano is respected across the league as an offensive line coach. But that success hasn't translated to his time as head coach. He lacks the decisiveness required of the man leading the team. Rather than taking control and trying to change the losing culture, he's instead allowed the season to run its course.
It was already going in the wrong direction when he took over, and he's done nothing to change this.
That occurred again against the Chiefs. Olson's game plan was obviously ineffective, but Sparano just stood by and watched it happen.
Grade: D-
Final Grades
11 of 11
| Positional Unit | Overall Grade |
| QB | D+ |
| RB | C- |
| TE | D+ |
| WR | D |
| OL | D |
| DL | D+ |
| LB | D |
| Secondary | D+ |
| Special Teams | D |
| Coaching | D- |
| Cumulative Grade | D |
This game turned into a blowout, but it didn't start out that way. The final score wasn't so much the result of Kansas City's good play as much as it was Oakland's inability to take advantage of opportunities and stay out of its own way.
By now, it's become clear that this team's biggest problem is the coaches. Despite the lack of talent, this team could and should be playing better. It's the coaches' responsibility to put players in a position to succeed, but they've failed to do so all season. This happened against the Chiefs.
The good news is that despite the coaching, the Raiders have shown potential. There are pieces to build around, and it'll be up to next season's coaching staff to get this team going in the right direction.
But on Sunday, it was another disappointing performance in a disappointing season.
Unless otherwise noted, all stats taken from ESPN.com.
Share your thoughts and opinions on Twitter @BrianJ_Flores.
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