Nov 9, 2014; Oakland, CA, USA; Oakland Raiders quarterback Derek Carr (4) throws a pass against the Denver Broncos in the third quarter at O.co Coliseum. The Broncos defeated the Raiders 41-17. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports
Last Sunday Oakland got stomped by Denver. Up until a few minutes into the first quarter, that result was exactly what the entire country expected to see. Then a few things happened… DJ Hayden snagged an interception from Payton Manning. Sebastian Janikowski scored a field goal, putting Oakland on the scoreboard before Denver. Oakland’s defense held the most powerful offense in the league to field goals twice. Finally, a few minutes into the second quarter, Derek Carr throws a rocket to Brice Butler to put the Oakland up 10-6. Suddenly NFL fans around the country realized this was a game!
It ended shortly later when a late second quarter interception led to a 51 yard TD catch and run out of the backfield on 3rd & 8 by CJ Anderson. The competitive Raiders never made their way back onto the field.
In the days following Sunday’s game a wave of rage and vocal negativity permeated throughout the Raiders fan community. It was as though it was suddenly outrageous that the best team in the league, with a historically powerful offense, could dominate an 0-8 team. Instead, the focus should be on the positives that came out of this game, especially from some of the young players on the team.
This week, we’ll breakdown film from when the game was still competitive, specifically looking at the young guns that are to be Oakland’s future as the rebuilding process continues.
Let’s begin!