Buy or Sell: Oakland Raiders vs. Atlanta Falcons

Buy and Sell is a new weekly series that will examine questions or statements about the Oakland Raiders based on their most recent game.

After a lackluster Week 2 showing from the defense, the Raiders were unable to recapture the comeback mojo for a second consecutive game, falling to the Atlanta Falcons 35-28.

The heartbreaking loss had led to a lot of questions and general statements to be made about the team. Some of them reek of panic, and a few of them have some validity.

Let’s examine some of the thoughts and questions that have been discussed by Raider Nation in the days following the loss.

A statement or a question will be made or asked, and the answer will be given in a Buy/Sell format.

We’ll start with the most controversial decision of the game:

Jack Del Rio going for it on 4th & 2 was the wrong decision.

Sell.

This is a classic “hindsight is 20/20” reaction. JDR is out to prove he’s a gambler, and he’s been money thus far in the season, but no coach has a 100 percent success rate with such bold decisions.

It was quite the turn of events, and unfortunately, those events didn’t turn in favor of the Raiders. Just the play before, Amari Cooper scored a touchdown that was called back due to Illegal Contact. The Raiders failed to convert on fourth down, and the Falcons marched down the field to go up 35-21.

But at the time of the decision to go for it, Oakland had the ball on their own 49-yard line. Too far for a field goal (67 yards) and how could Del Rio possibly trust his defense to make a stop? If the Raiders punted the ball, chances are Atlanta would have marched down the field, ate up the majority of the seven minutes left in the game, and put the game out of reach from both a score and a time remaining standpoint.

So no, the decision to go for it was not wrong.

Now, the play call or the personnel that was used — that was the mishap. If you are committed to running the ball, use a back like Latavius Murray or Jamize Olawale, who are more likely to fall forward for a short gain. Or draw up a pass play. That’s where the Raiders went wrong.