Biggest Takeaways from Oakland Raiders' Week 5 Loss
The Oakland Raiders continue to go through growing pains with another loss at home to the undefeated Denver Broncos.
In 2014, the Raiders didn’t belong on the same field as the Broncos. On Sunday, Oakland led for an entire half but fell behind late due to missed opportunities and one critical turnover.
For the most part, Denver’s offensive line provided enough time for Peyton Manning in the pocket. However, safety Charles Woodson forced two interceptions. One of those turnovers preserved the Raiders' 7-3 lead going into halftime.
Despite Woodson’s remarkable performance, Broncos cornerback Chris Harris took an interception one step further for a touchdown late in the fourth quarter.
The Raiders don’t receive a participation certificate for trying, but the team can extract some positives from this loss.
What are the intriguing narratives stemming from the Raiders’ Week 5 defeat?
Charles Woodson Leading Raiders Secondary
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Woodson has already tied his interception total from the previous year with four in the first five games.
A shoulder injury hasn’t stopped him from making plays all over the field in the past few weeks. Woodson has forced at least one interception in the last three games. He’s clearly the best defensive back on the Raiders' roster in coverage.
Cornerback Neiko Thorpe is the only other defensive back with an interception.
Safety Nate Allen won’t return to the field until Week 10 at the earliest, but the idea of both ball-hawking safeties covering deep provides hope for Oakland’s young pass defense.
Based on Woodson’s level of production, it shouldn’t surprise anyone if he returns for a 19th year in the league.
Latavius Murray Part of Running Back Committee?
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Head coach Jack Del Rio doesn’t air grievances to the media, but he sends clear messages to his players.
In a postgame press conference, the Raiders' head coach made it clear that injury concerns didn’t keep the Murray out of the game.
Del Rio wants more out of the featured running back. Murray must prove he’s deserving of fourth-quarter carries.
Murray battled a shoulder injury during the week and endured some bumps and bruises against the Broncos, but he could’ve finished the game. The coaching staff put its faith in Roy Helu in the closing moments.
In the first five weeks, Oakland’s starting running back registered more than 15 carries in one game (against the Cleveland Browns). He’s the starter, but he's not utilized as a workhorse back at 16 carries per contest.
In addition to Helu to closing out games, Taiwan Jones' eventual return could further complicate the distribution of carries.
Neiron Ball Solves Raiders' Tight End Issues?
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Defensive coordinator Ken Norton Jr. continues to experiment with all levels of the defense. He moved TJ Carrie to safety and modified the base defense alignment.
In Week 5, linebacker Neiron Ball stepped in for inside linebacker Curtis Lofton on passing downs.
As previously mentioned, Ball exhibited a unique skill set at Florida as a formidable run-stopper and coverage linebacker in limited action. He’s capable of staying on the field on all three downs if necessary.
Lofton has clearly lost a step, and it’s cost the Raiders in pass coverage. Ball contributed to shutting out Owen Daniels to end the streak of tight ends dominating the Raiders defense.
Norton will likely continue to use Ball on passing downs with Lofton as a two-down, run-stopping inside linebacker alongside Malcolm Smith.
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Catch-Less Wide Receivers
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Seth Roberts and Andre Holmes failed to record a catch in consecutive weeks.
A miscommunication between quarterback Derek Carr and Roberts also led to the Raiders' demise. Carr would later admit to reporters that he threw to the wideout as the hot read, which resulted in a pick-six.
Roberts’ miscue with Carr and his dropped pass that referees initially ruled a fumble sum up his day on the field. He’s vanished since catching touchdown passes in two of the first three weeks of the season. It’s all or nothing with Roberts.
Holmes plays a less significant role within the Raiders offense in comparison to Roberts. The fourth-year wideout has caught four passes for 53 yards and touchdown. Carr only targeted the 6’4”, 210-pound slot receiver seven times in the first five games.
The inconsistencies in the slot have increased the interest in Rod Streater, who’s been inactive since taking 10 snaps in Week 1.
Marcel Reece Finally Making Consistent Impact
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Marcel Reece has already matched his career high of three receiving touchdowns. He’s on pace for roughly 518 receiving yards, which would top the 496 he produced in 2012.
Offensive coordinator Bill Musgrave continues to optimize Reece's skill set as a sure-handed receiver. Carr targets him a few times a game, but those targets usually generate huge chunks of yardage.
On Sunday, Reece scored the only offensive touchdown of the day on a three-yard play-action pass.
As Reece continues to rack up yards after the catch, he could move up the pecking order of viable receiving options. The absence of a consistent slot receiver and the sporadic use of receiving tight ends bode well for Reece's production going forward.
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All statistics are provided by Pro-Football-Reference.com and Pro Football Focus unless otherwise noted.
Week 5 statistics and play-by-play analysis provided by NFL.com.
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