Oakland Raiders Mustn't Dwell on Their Loss to Green Bay Packers

The Oakland Raiders have had a week to lick their wounds, after being humiliatingly smacked and whacked by the Green Bay Packers last Sunday. As a result, their two-game lead in the AFC West evaporated, and the Raiders now see the galloping Denver Broncos in front of them, alone in first place. What once was a highly confident and brash Oakland team is now only a confident and brash team.

But they are fully aware of the bumpy road that remains ahead of them.

And yet despite the painfully dejecting last two games, the Raiders must lift their heads up knowing that they still remain in playoff contention. Head coach Hue Jackson reaffirmed that they are “still in the thick” of it, and that their focus mustn’t be on the past beatdowns they’ve experienced at the hands of the Miami Dolphins and the Packers. As wincingly humbling and embarrassing as those two games were, Oakland must awaken themselves into coherence, as time is running out on their playoff dreams.

Much has been made about quarterback Carson Palmer’s performance, and the long list of players who are injured, including the whereabouts of running back Darren McFadden and when about should fans expect him back. But what is most important to the Raiders and their aspirations of the postseason is their defense—or lack thereof.

Oakland’s last two games are only a microcosm of the entire season. While their porous run defense is well-documented, the defense as a whole has not been steady. Through 13 games, the Raiders have given up over 374 yards of offense per game, ranking 26th in the NFL. Part of the blame can be pointed to Oakland’s inability to get their defense off the field. They rank in the bottom third in the league in opponent’s third-down conversion percentage (41.11). This has prevented the Raiders from winning any time-of-possession battles, as well.

Oakland is going to have their hands full against the Detroit Lions on Sunday. The Lions rank fourth in the league in scoring offense at 28.2 points per game. The extremely pass-happy Lions—nearly 40 pass attempts per game—will have a field day picking apart the Raiders secondary. Oakland will need to apply some pressure on quarterback Matthew Stafford, who has managed to stay on his feet, taking a close-to-average number of sacks for the season.

For sure, Sunday’s game has the potential to be a shootout, as both teams are thin on the defensive side of the ball. The Raiders are allowing 27.2 points per game, good (bad) for 28th in the league. But not all of the high point totals can be attributed to the weak defense: The Raiders offense has allowed the second-most touchdowns per game by their opponents. Palmer has accounted for two interceptions that have been returned for touchdowns. When the offense and defense are giving up points, it doesn’t bode well for the entire team.

Unfortunately for the Raiders, Detroit ranks third in total takeaways, with 29. Look for the Raiders to apply a heavy dose of the running game in order to keep Palmer from forcing bad throws.

In order for that to happen, Oakland needs to score before Detroit does. In fact, they have to score first—early and often. The Raiders have had trouble coming back in games this year. When they are down, they are out. They need to score within the first two series against Detroit to have any chance for the remainder of the game. Otherwise, the Raiders’ confidence will tenuously shrink, and the Raider Nation at the Oakland Coliseum will start to grumble.

With the likelihood that wide receiver Denarius Moore will return to the lineup, the Raiders gain a speedy weapon on offense that can help stretch the field. For the past few games, Oakland has looked lethargic without its playmakers, unable to produce any big gains and keep the field-of-position battle in their favor. Look for Moore to make more of an impact on offense this week, helping Palmer move the ball at a better pace in place of the dink-and-dunk format that Oakland’s been forced to apply during the last few games.

If the Raiders are able to control the ball and the clock, it will go a long way toward a mistake-free football game. To help this cause, the Raiders need to push the Lions away on third downs. Detroit ranks 26th in third-down conversion, and it behooves the Raiders to continue that trend, forcing precarious 3rd-and-long situations.

Given the thinness on defense, as well as offense, the Raiders have to perform at their highest capabilities. Detroit is roaring for a higher seed in the NFC playoff picture. They are not an opponent to be taken lightly, especially considering their 4-2 record on the road.

But ultimately, the Raiders will be the first to admit that there is potential to let this game get away from them. Otherwise their playoff dreams will become a season-ending nightmare really quickly.