Biggest Takeaways from Oakland Raiders' Week 11 Loss

Here’s where the Oakland Raiders obtain intangible growth—through struggle, hard lessons and poor performances.

Logically, the hunger to improve sits in the belly of those who need it most. It’s often said that wins provide the best cover-up for inadequacies in the NFL.

The Raiders have lost three consecutive games in different fashion: one close shootout, one contest with a late-game letdown and one, most recently, poor performance from start to finish.

Now, it’s time to find answers to the inefficiencies that crept below the surface of an improved roster.

In addition to seeking solutions, Oakland must also reinvent its offensive schemes. Opposing defenses have seemingly caught on to the nuances of the Raiders’ revamped passing attack through film study over the past two months.

According to CSN Bay Area reporter Fallon Smith, a figurative black cloud followed the Raiders from the field to the locker room. Unlike recent losses, optimism faded considerably, with the exception of a few who expressed faith in the team.

After clearing emotions, it’s appropriate to ask: What have we learned from Sunday’s 18-13 loss to the Detroit Lions?

Raiders Secondary Gets Stingy

Rick Osentoski/Associated Press

Often times we lose sight of the negatives during a victory. The opposite holds true for positives in defeat. 

The Raiders pass defense hasn’t allowed a touchdown to a wide receiver since Pittsburgh Steelers wideout Antonio Brown torched the defensive backs in Week 9.

In the past two weeks, Minnesota Vikings tight end Rhett Ellison scored the only receiving touchdown against defensive lineman Khalil Mack in the flat, per Pro Football Focus.

The Lions' top-10 passing offense settled for three field goals, a safety and a quarterback draw from Matthew Stafford to reach the end zone.

It’s a small victory, but the Raiders pass defense had struggled to stop any quarterback capable of putting the ball in the air. With a healthy secondary, Oakland can limit scoring opportunities, which places less pressure on the offense to score on every drive.

Khalil Mack Back at Outside Linebacker in 4-3

Rob Leiter/Getty Images

There are mixed opinions about Mack’s transition from outside linebacker to defensive end. He still ranks as the best run-stopper at his position, but his play jumped off the screen on Sunday.

The broadcasters announced Mack as a starting outside linebacker in a 4-3 base defense. Rookie Mario Edwards Jr. and Denico Autry started the game as the defensive ends.

Maybe it’s a coincidence, but Mack’s play escalated to another level from the first whistle. He led the defense with eight tackles and charged into the backfield for several stops at or behind the line of scrimmage.

Assisted blocks on Mack allowed other defensive linemen to rush the pocket, leading to four sacks and four quarterback hits.

Curtain Call for Curtis Lofton?

Duane Burleson/Associated Press

Rookie linebacker Ben Heeney benefited from Mack’s activity near the pocket. Defensive coordinator Ken Norton Jr. dialed up a blitz, and Heeney executed with a clean sack on the quarterback.

According to SilverandBlackPride.com writer Levi Damien, Heeney took advantage of inside linebacker Curtis Lofton’s poor tackling early in the game.

Lofton finished with two tackles, compared to Heeney’s seven in total. The rookie still needs work when defending in wide-open spaces, but the coaching staff may feel inclined to change the guard as the veteran continues on a steady decline. 

Heeney showed potential in the preseason, and he put together another solid performance against the Lions.

Raiders' Punt Returner Situation Goes from Bad to Worse

Paul Sancya/Associated Press

On Sunday, the Raiders felt determined to squeeze some production out of rookie wideout Amari Cooper. He experienced his worst outing as a wide receiver and returned four punts for 16 yards.

The Raiders coaches have lost their collective minds with the decision to utilize the best wide receiver on the roster as a punt returner.

Sure, Antonio Brown returns punts for the Steelers, and DeSean Jackson fields punts for the Washington Redskins, but both players are skilled in that particular area. Defensive back T.J. Carrie served as a punt returner for four seasons at Ohio on the collegiate level, which made his time on special teams understandable.

Someone between head coach Jack Del Rio and special teams coordinator Brad Seely must come to his senses. The coaching staff should sign a specialist who’s capable of advancing the ball for good field position and stop rotating valuable starters in a high-risk, low-reward role.

The Ground Attack Goes as Murray Goes

Paul Sancya/Associated Press

The offense sputters when starting running back Latavius Murray fails to move the ball on the ground at four yards per carry.

Fullback Jamize Olawale’s three to five carries and Marcel Reece’s occasional bull rushes at the goal line fail to complete a lackluster rushing attack. Oakland needs a change-of-pace tailback, but the coaching staff continues to leave Roy Helu Jr. inactive on the sidelines.

The Raiders field two downhill ball-carriers in Reece and Olawale, which hurts the ground attack when attempting to bounce runs toward the outside. Murray poses a threat as a low-grade dynamic rusher, but he’s limited to an average 16 carries per contest. 

It seems the Raiders have fallen into an all-or-nothing approach with Murray as the dominant ball-carrier in the backfield.

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All statistics are provided by Pro-Football-Reference.com, Pro Football Focus and Team Rankings unless otherwise noted.