Oakland Raiders: 5 reasons not to panic after Washington loss

LANDOVER, MD - SEPTEMBER 24: Wide receiver Josh Doctson No. 18 of the Washington Redskins makes a catch over free safety Reggie Nelson No. 27 of the Oakland Raiders and in the third quarter at FedExField on September 24, 2017 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images)
LANDOVER, MD - SEPTEMBER 24: Wide receiver Josh Doctson No. 18 of the Washington Redskins makes a catch over free safety Reggie Nelson No. 27 of the Oakland Raiders and in the third quarter at FedExField on September 24, 2017 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images) /
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It’s tough to win on the road in primetime

Though Raider Nation travels well, winning on the road in a primetime game is always difficult. Sure, you might get lucky and face the worst team in your division on a Thursday night game, but most of the time primetime affairs mean two great teams are duking it out on the gridiron.

The crowd is almost always fully engaged for these late, nationally televised kickoffs. Those fans have had all day to get ready for this game. Nobody is asleep in the stands. They are alert and ready to make it hard for the opposing team to play at a high level in their place.

Not that FedEx Field is the most difficult stadium to play in as a visitor, but Redskins fans are very passionate in their own right. Under head coach Jay Gruden, the Redskins rarely go on lengthy losing streaks. This is a consistent bunch that plays very well in their own building. It was a tough spot for the Raiders and Washington certainly got the best of them.

To travel across the country to play a solid team from the other conference in primetime is never easy. The political ramifications surrounding Week 3’s games didn’t help either. Oakland is a good team, but needs to prove to the league at large it can hang on a national stage with this corps.