What the Oakland Raiders must do to avoid disaster in next two games

OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA - NOVEMBER 03: Head coach Jon Gruden of the Oakland Raiders celebrates with fans after a win against the Detroit Lions at RingCentral Coliseum on November 03, 2019 in Oakland, California. (Photo by Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images)
OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA - NOVEMBER 03: Head coach Jon Gruden of the Oakland Raiders celebrates with fans after a win against the Detroit Lions at RingCentral Coliseum on November 03, 2019 in Oakland, California. (Photo by Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images)
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HOUSTON, TX – OCTOBER 27: Head Coach Jon Gruden calls a play for Derek Carr #4 of the Oakland Raiders before a game against the Houston Texans at NRG Stadium on October 27, 2019 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images)
HOUSTON, TX – OCTOBER 27: Head Coach Jon Gruden calls a play for Derek Carr #4 of the Oakland Raiders before a game against the Houston Texans at NRG Stadium on October 27, 2019 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images)

Don’t Beat Yourself

Avoiding mental errors is a key component to any game, but this becomes even more important when playing an inferior opponent. Mental Mistakes that lead to turnovers and coverage breaks are how bad teams stick around and pull off upsets. Avoiding these types of plays should be at the forefront of every player on the Raiders roster mind.

Oakland should have no problem taking care of business these next two weeks because they are the better team in both contests. In a sense, the team is its own biggest opponent and as long they can avoid beating themselves, the Silver and Black should have no problems getting to 7-4.

The best way to combat this is for each player to focus on what he can do better on every play. For some guys, that requires a nit-picking coach and others are able to recognize their imperfections without help. Whatever method is needed, every person in the locker room needs to understand that improvements can always be made, and the self-inflicted wounds will stop.

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