5 takeaways from Raiders’ Week 16 loss to Eagles
By John Buhler
The Oakland Raiders came up a minute short to the Philadelphia Eagles in their most recent loss. Here are five takeaways from the Raiders’ Week 16 defeat.
Though the Oakland Raiders were 10-point underdogs on the road to the Philadelphia Eagles on Monday Night Football on Christmas night in Week 16, they totally found away to cover. Better yet, the Raiders almost won the primetime ball game.
The only problem with that is that the Silver and Black surrendered a game-winning 48-yard field goal off the foot of Jake Elliott with 22 seconds left. Needing a miracle to force overtime, the Raiders orchestrated one of the worst laterals you’ll ever see. Eagles defensive end Derek Barnett was there for the game-sealing scoop-and-score as time expired.
Philadelphia won 19-10 to improve to 13-2 and clinch home-field advantage in the NFC. Oakland stumbled to 6-9 on the year and could end its disastrous 2017 NFL season on a four-game skid if they can’t beat the Los Angeles Chargers on the road New Year’s Eve.
There was obviously a lot to digest in the Raiders’ most recent loss. Much of America saw that game on Christmas night. Here are the five biggest takeaways from yet another tough loss for the Silver and Black in 2017. Just end the season.
Somehow, some way, the Raiders found a way to break our broken hearts again.
It would have taken a Christmas miracle for the Raiders to upset the juggernaut Eagles on the road Monday night. For whatever reason, it almost happened. It was the low-scoring affair that the Raiders would have needed to beat the Eagles anyway. Yet, the Raiders found another way to punch us in the gut this season.
Admittedly, the wind was a huge problem for both teams in this ball game. Neither team could throw the football with any confidence. It rattled Derek Carr, but it didn’t seem to faze Eagles starter Nick Foles, even if his team couldn’t pound the rock.
Kicking field goals on Monday night was a tall order. Elliott and Giorgio Tavecchio had to deal with 13 mile per hour winds in their face all night long. Both were able to at least get one of their kicks through the uprights. For a moment there, it looked like the Raiders might have been able to steal one against the best team in football.
But no! Absolutely not! It was a game marred by turnovers and the Raiders had five by themselves. Before Barnett housed Jalen Richard‘s terrible backwards lateral, it wasn’t like the Eagles were rattling off the points off Oakland’s turnover issues. We know that the Raiders aren’t good this year, but to lose a game by surrounding nine points in the last 22 seconds was something else.