5 takeaways from Raiders’ loss to Chiefs in Week 14
By John Buhler
Running the football 11 times was unacceptable.
What was offensive coordinator Todd Downing thinking? Check downs from Carr was not an acceptable point of attack on this Chiefs defense. While Downing can’t exactly control Carr’s decision making, why did the Raiders only run the ball 11 times in the entire ball game?
The rejuvenated bell-cow back that is Marshawn Lynch had seven carries for 61 yards and a touchdown. That’s it. Oakland’s other four carries went to DeAndre Washington for a measly nine yards. Roughly an 80-20 split between pass and run was not the ratio the Raiders needed to win this ball game.
In very limited touches on the ground, Lynch had more yards per carry (8.7) than Carr did in yards per attempt (5.2) as a passer. Yes, a bulk of Lynch’s 61 rushing yards came on a wonderful, vintage Beast Mode scamper from yesteryear for 27 yards, but he was by far and away the more productive player over Carr in this huge rivalry game with Kansas City.
It wasn’t like weather or anything was the reason the Raiders only ran the ball 11 times on Sunday. It was Downing’s questionable play calling. Some people have been on his case all season, but not going back to Beast Mode after he’s been harvesting bountiful runs of late was one of the most head-scratching coaching decisions in a strange year for the Raiders.