Instant reaction following Raiders crushing playoff loss to Bengals

Instant reaction following Raiders crushing playoff loss to Bengals

The offensive line disappointed

The Raiders’ offensive line looked undisciplined and out of sync in the biggest game of the year. Scratch that, the biggest game of the last 20 years. That cannot go unpunished. Tom Cable, who has done a solid job since returning to the Silver and Black, looked bad in this one. The mental breakdowns that resulted in penalty after penalty derailed much of the offense’s rhythm during the game.

Other than Kolton Miller, Denzelle Good, and Andre James, none of the current offensive linemen should be guaranteed to return in 2022. There’s much work to be done, and if, say, a new head coach comes in, it’s likely we have seen the end of Cable’s tenure. Simply put, the playoff spotlight was too bright for this unit, which is unfortunate considering they had been doing a solid job during their four-game streak, not a perfect one, but solid nonetheless.

They were able to open holes for Josh Jacobs, so there were positives to come out of this. He ended the game with 83 yards off of 13 carries, though penalties also negated his production. It could be said that the Raiders needed to go to Jacobs more often, but they quickly fell behind, which automatically meant the team needed to score quickly. Regardless, Jacobs carried the team in the final stretch of the year and even in today’s contest. With a rebuilt offensive line, Jacobs may be back to form next season.