Oakland Raiders vs. Denver Broncos: Full Report Card Grades for Oakland
At best, the Oakland Raiders were a long shot to win this game. Still, after playing well over the past five games and coming up with three wins in that stretch, the team looked to be moving in the right direction. Even if they lost to the Denver Broncos, they could've put up a fight. But they didn't en route to a 47-14 loss.
Early on, the familiar signs were there for what type of game this would be. The offense couldn't move the ball and was able to produce only one first down the entire second half. Even when the score was close, it never looked like the offense could produce a winning effort.
This trickled down to the defense, which was able to get some stops and somewhat keep the game within reach. But it was never really in doubt. It was a slow, painful, frustrating downward spiral that saw the Raiders fall further and further behind, ultimately leading to an embarrassing 33-point defeat.
Players could've played like a team fighting for pride and roster spots. The coaches could've coached as if their jobs depended on it. Instead, the entire team from top to bottom performed like a group that just wanted the season to be over. The grades reflect that effort.
Quarterback
1 of 11
It was an ugly performance to end an up-and-down season for rookie Derek Carr. He finished 18-of-36 for 158 yards and a touchdown. But he also threw an interception and fumbled the ball twice, losing one of them.
He never looked comfortable and never really threatened the Denver defense. At no point did he look dangerous, and he missed the one big-play opportunity he had when, following a flea flicker, he overthrew a wide-open Andre Holmes in the end zone.
But it wasn't all bad. He completed passes to nine different receivers, exhibiting his comfort with working through the routes until he finds the open man. However, too often he defaulted to the emergency short pass, which stopped the offense from picking up more yards at a time.
Simply put, he didn't do anything to help the team win. He'll get to spend the offseason watching tape and trying to figure out how to squeeze more out of a group of receivers that's woefully short on talent.
Grade: D-
Running Back
2 of 11
Go check out running back reviews from throughout the season, and you'll recognize a familiar pattern: The running backs weren't effective, but was it the players or the lack of opportunity?
Latavius Murray had 10 carries for 37 yards, and Darren McFadden had four for 13 yards. As has too often been the case, there simply weren't enough touches to be effective.
It didn't help that the Raiders kept falling further and further behind, which forced the play-calling to go more and more pass-heavy. But it makes no sense to stop running the ball regardless, unless the Oakland coaches have a 30-point play that no one else in the NFL knows about. No rushing attack is going to succeed with so few touches.
It's true that Murray and McFadden didn't do much with the touches they did get, and that's on them. However, Murray has shown he will eventually do damage given enough carries. He had a long run of eight yards, and given twice as many carries, he eventually would've had an even bigger one.
Maurice Jones-Drew is as good as gone, and McFadden might have done enough to remain as a backup.
The real story is Murray, who should come into next season's camp as the starter, and hopefully with a coaching staff that knows how to use him.
Grade: D-
Tight End
3 of 11
Mychal Rivera showed some flashes, but he remains inconsistent. It was the same story today, as he finished with two catches on eight targets. That's way too many incompletions in the direction of a guy who's supposed to be one of your primary receiving targets and your primary tight end.
Rivera has the ability to get open, but he hasn't been able to do so consistently and bring in the passes. He also remains a work in progress as a blocker. He couldn't do any damage against Denver through the air, and he struggled against the pass rush.
While he's an intriguing prospect, he didn't show that he can handle the responsibility of being the No. 1 tight end.
Grade: F
.jpg?w=256 "Colts Jaguars Football")
Wide Receiver
4 of 11
Oakland has some potential at wide receiver, but there's no top-flight talent. Andre Holmes and James Jones combined for four catches and 27 yards. Jones had a long of nine. Holmes, a supposed deep threat, had a long of seven.
The Raiders receivers could never get open downfield, completely lacking the ability to stretch the field. The one time someone did get open deep, it came on a trick play. Carr overthrew Holmes, but it had just as much to do with Holmes inexplicably slowing down as he reached the end zone.
Really, it was a pitiful day across the board.
| Wide Receiver | Catches | Yards |
| James Jones | 2 | 17 |
| Andre Holmes | 2 | 10 |
| Brice Butler | 1 | 6 |
| Kenbrell Thompkins | 1 | 2 |
To show just how weak Oakland's group of receivers is, consider this: Late in the game, following a Marquette King punt, a Raider receiver made the tackle. Which receiver? Holmes, the team's supposed No. 1 receiver. Do you know another top receiver covering punts?
This is a team with no true primary receiver. And the truth is, there might not even be a No. 2 receiver in the group. That was brutally evident against Denver.
Grade: F
Offensive Line
5 of 11
The offensive line has had its positive moments, but this game wasn't one of them. It was facing two of the NFL's best pass-rushers in Von Miller and DeMarcus Ware, so the job certainly wasn't easy. But the unit wasn't able to give Carr consistent protection. He was only sacked once, but he was under pressure too often.
The run-blocking wasn't good, either. The Raiders only called 15 designed runs, so there weren't too many opportunities, but the running backs were too often met at or behind the line of scrimmage. The line wasn't able to provide running lanes, as it was unable to generate any kind of push.
There also remains a worrisome disconnect between Carr and center Stefen Wisniewski. They've had issues with the snap throughout the season, and it came up again today. Carr had to frequently scream to get his center's attention, and the snap would just beat out the play clock. It disrupted the offense's rhythm several times.
The unit seemed befuddled by the Denver defensive front, and this knocked the entire offense off-balance.
Grade: D-
Defensive Line
6 of 11
The defensive line has been in flux all season. The coaches struggled to find a combination that worked, and they ultimately failed.
The only player along the defensive line who played well was Justin Tuck, but that's relatively speaking. He had five tackles and a sack. But for most of the game, he was unable to create pressure.
The same was true for the rest of the line. No defensive lineman was able to win a one-on-one matchup, and Peyton Manning had all the time he wanted.
As bad as the unit was rushing the passer, it might have been worse against the run. Last week, this unit was a major part in holding the opposition to 13 yards on 13 carries. But the Broncos piled up 142 yards on 34 carries (4.2 yards per attempt) and three rushing touchdowns. Whether it was up the middle or to the outside, the defensive line could never figure out how to get in front of the running back.
Grade: F
Linebacker
7 of 11
Khalil Mack dealt with a hamstring issue all week, and he was a game-time decision against the Broncos. He ended up playing, and he struggled. He finished with only two tackles, but statistics haven't been an accurate measure of his play. He's been very good at plugging running lanes and getting into the backfield. He was unable to do either of those things against the Broncos.
Miles Burris' season came to a fitting end. He plays hard every down, but he's ill-equipped to be a middle linebacker. He's simply not quick enough for the role. He was frequently beaten while in coverage and was unable to shed blockers to help against the run.
Ray-Ray Armstrong caused a fumble and led the team with eight tackles. He's not a starter on this team with Sio Moore and Nick Roach returning, but he did enough to at least get serious consideration as a second-stringer.
Of the Raiders' original 11 defensive starters from Week 1, only four were available against Denver. Most have been lost to injury. No single unit was as affected by that on Sunday as the linebackers. Only Mack was an intended starter, and he played hurt. This unit had great potential, but it limped across the finish line.
Grade: F
Secondary
8 of 11
The secondary was torched. But with how depleted it is, it never really had a chance. The starting cornerbacks for Sunday's game were D.J. Hayden, who's yet to play a full season in two tries, and little-used rookie Keith McGill. It was a severely inexperienced duo against a first-ballot Hall of Famer, and that's how the matchup played out.
McGill was expected to struggle, but more needed to be seen from Hayden. He was drafted to be the team's top cornerback, and this was a chance for him to prove that he's capable of handling the responsibility. At the very least, he had to show that he has the potential. But he spent all day getting caught out of position and chasing receivers.
MGill did provide a highlight when Manning threw a lateral pass that dropped to the ground. While everyone else stood around thinking it was an incompletion, the rookie alertly picked it up and ran it in for a touchdown. It cut the lead to 10-7 in the first quarter, but it was as close as Oakland would get the rest of the game. McGill spent the rest of the game getting picked on by Manning.
The safeties were no better. Brandian Ross made a couple of nice plays, but he was most often making tackles way downfield. And Charles Woodson did something he didn't do most of the season, which is look old. They both missed tackle against receivers and running backs, and they allowed too many big gains.
It was an ugly, forgettable game for the secondary.
Grade: F
Special Teams
9 of 11
It was another busy day in a busy season for Marquette King. He added another nine punts to his already league-leading total, giving him 109 for the entire season, just short of the all-time record. He averaged 46.4 yards per punt, and he dropped four inside the 20.
Sebastian Janikowski has had the opposite season. He finished yet another game without a field-goal attempt. However, he did pick up a tackle when he pushed the Denver return man out of bounds. Unfortunately, that didn't happen until after Omar Bolden had already run 76 yards up the field.
Coverage continued to be a problem. Bolden had the big return, and Wes Welker managed to find some openings while returning punts. The defense was struggling as it was, and the coverage teams giving up great field position over and over didn't help.
Oakland has struggled all season trying to find an everyday return man, and George Atkinson III showed that he might have some potential. He returned three kicks and averaged 22 yards per return in the process, including a long of 28.
There might be potential on kicks, but the Raiders have their work cut out for them on punts. It's gotten so bad that Charles Woodson was back catching punts. He did have a long of 23, but he's clearly not the answer. Neither is T.J. Carrie, who's becoming too valuable as a cornerback to risk injury on special teams.
Special teams didn't give up a touchdown, but it lost the field position battle.
Grade: D-
Coaching
10 of 11
It's Week 17. Why change now?
This was the final opportunity for the coaches to make a case to stay. Judging by the play-calling, none of them seems all that interested in returning.
Interim head coach Tony Sparano has plenty of support from the players, but he lacks the most important quality required from a head coach: leadership. It's his job to put his foot down and demand that something be done when the team is struggling. Instead, he let his team continue to make the same mistakes in the same areas.
That was the case again against the Broncos. We saw the same issues, and Sparano did nothing about it.
What can be said about offensive coordinator Greg Olson that hasn't already been said? His play-calling was once again frustratingly ineffective. Rather than playing to his unit's strengths, he yet again spent four quarters trying to force a square peg into a round hole.
The Raiders do not have a receiver that can consistently get open one-on-one, but Olson offered no help. He instead opted to leave his receivers on islands against Aqib Talib and Chris Harris Jr. It's no surprise that Oakland's top two receivers finished with such poor numbers.
Defensive coordinator Jason Tarver is the one coach who showed he deserves to return, but he's had to deal with a slew of injuries that have decimated his unit. Unfortunately, he's going to be lumped in with the rest of the coaches, be included in their failure and be gone by next season.
Grade: F
Final Grades
11 of 11
| Positional Unit | Overall Grade |
| QB | D- |
| RB | D- |
| TE | F |
| WR | F |
| OL | D- |
| DL | F |
| LB | F |
| Secondary | F |
| Special Teams | D- |
| Coaching | F |
| Cumulative Grade | F |
Another frustrating, tough-to-watch year for the Oakland Raiders has come to an end. Like the organization has done every offseason for over a decade, it must now look through the ruins of another season, look for anything that's salvageable, and try once again to rebuild.
But at least this time, there is some silver lining. Derek Carr is the team's franchise quarterback. That's not to say that he's one of the league's best at the position, but he certainly has the mental and physical tools to be a winner and reach that elite level.
Khalil Mack is as good as advertised. He now has a full season of tape to watch and study, and there's no doubt that next season he'll show even more evidence of being one of the best at his position.
The organization has a lot of holes to fill, from the roster all the way up to the front office. However, with the right coaches, this team has very real potential to improve by leaps and bounds in 2015.
Unless otherwise noted, all stats taken from ESPN.com.
Share your thoughts and opinions on Twitter @BrianJ_Flores.
.jpg?w=480 "Colts Jaguars Football")
.png?w=480)
