Oakland Raiders: 5 reasons not to panic after Washington loss
By John Buhler
The Oakland Raiders looked awful against the Washington Redskins on Sunday Night Football in Week 3. Here are five reasons Oakland shouldn’t panic just yet.
Well, that was bad. The Oakland Raiders went out and played a terrible football game in the nation’s capital on Sunday night in Week 3. Though the Raiders would lose 27-10 to the Washington Redskins, the score was closer than game would indicate.
Oakland got its 10 points off Washington miscues. A Jamison Crowder muffed punt would result in the Silver and Black’s lone touchdown strike of the game. Samaje Perine‘s fumble would lead to a Giorgio Tavecchio field goal for the Raiders.
From the opening series, where Oakland quarterback Derek Carr threw an interception to Washington safety Montae Nicholson, it was all Redskins on Sunday Night Football in Week 3. The offensive line couldn’t keep Carr upright. He had trouble with the snap count on several occasions, getting quick-snapped a few times.
Then there was Redskins quarterback Kirk Cousins carving up a disorganized Raiders secondary on the other side of the ball. It’s best to put this game in the past. This was a lousy effort, but here are five reasons now is not the time to panic about the 2017 Raiders’ season going forward.
Maybe it’s best to get the first loss out of the way?
Keep in mind last year that the Raiders lost their second game of the season at home to the eventual NFC champion Atlanta Falcons. It was a close game, but the Raiders came up a bit short in that high-scoring affair at the Coliseum.
Until Carr broke his leg in Week 16, Oakland would go 11-2 the rest of the way. Oakland’s two losses during that stretch came to the arch rival Kansas City Chiefs. This year’s team may not win 13 games, but it should be good enough to get to double digits and make the AFC playoffs.
Taking the pressure of the first loss out of the equation will allow the Raiders to honestly assess their faults earlier in the season. Of course, this defeat is a motivator to get better, but getting humbled early in the season isn’t always a bad thing.
Having an early blemish allows a team to play a freer form of football. Teams that start the year on lengthy winning streaks often times play tight as the season progresses. The burden of carrying a perfect record isn’t something a team will want to carry into the playoffs. All that does is amplify the intensity of not losing to hopefully stay perfect.