Raiders Wild Card vs Bengals: 3 Surprises from the loss

Raiders Wild Card vs Bengals: 3 Surprises from the loss

Mental Mistakes

Unfortunately, the moment seemed much too big for many of the Raiders players, and surprisingly, the referees as well. I’ve never seen so many mental mistakes that cost a team more than the ones that were made in this matchup. First and foremost there were too many drops by pass-catchers in this game, especially the one by DeSean Jackson on a third and six, which most likely would’ve been a touchdown if not a first and goal.

Then there was the deep pass from Carr to Hunter Renfrow, who let safety Jessie Bates knock the ball out at the last second. Almost every big play was brought back due to an offensive line penalty as well, but we can get into that later.

However, perhaps the biggest mental mistake came from backup running back Peyton Barber, who decided to scoop up a kickoff headed for out of bounds, and instead grab it at the one-yard line. That play swung the game on its head early on and was really a microcosm of the kind of game the Raiders played against the Bengals.

The next two mistakes I would like to talk about are coaching ones. First, leaving a tight end on an island to block a defensive end that has played well all season and had 14 sacks on the year was not a smart decision, and it ended up being another sack-fumble by Derek Carr. Then, on the final play of the game, fourth and goal from the 15, Greg Olson calls a play where two players get to the end zone? And not even their best players?

The Raiders best receiver in Hunter Renfrow ran a flat route and ended up on the eight-yard line, Darren Waller, who is probably the Raiders most talented player on offense, had a slow-developing route in which he didn’t end up anywhere near or in the end zone before Derek Carr threw the ball.

Olson’s play-calling has been in question since he took over after Gruden’s resignation and plays like this are a reason why. Lastly, the Bengals’ second touchdown before the half was a major mess up by the referees. Everybody heard the whistle, and by rule, as soon as the whistle blows even if it’s inadvertently the play is considered dead and the down should’ve been replayed but for some reason, the refs decided the whistle was blown after the catch and therefore the play stood.