Instant reactions to Raiders' blowout loss vs. Broncos

The Raiders have to stop beating themselves

Winning games in the NFL is hard enough, but when you have to beat your opponent and overcome your own shortcomings, it is nearly impossible.

It's hard to know exactly where to begin with this broad category of "ways that the Raiders beat themselves on Sunday" but let's give it a shot.

For a team that prided itself on being one of the most disciplined units in the NFL in the Antonio Pierce era, the Raiders could not avoid penalties on Sunday.

Not just poor technique penalties or quick missteps that happen in the heat of the game. Bad penalties. Inexcusable penalties.

For one, the team had two 12-men on the field flags thrown. Not one, but two. You'd think that after the first time, they would never let it happen again, but this Raiders team is full of surprises.

Another flag that was tough to palate was Janarius Robinson's 15-yard leveraging penalty on Will Lutz's field goal attempt in the final seconds of the first half. Instead of going into the locker room in a tie ballgame after a missed kick, the Broncos had another chance from 15 yards closer. This time they capitalized, taking a three-point lead into halftime.

Even when you out-gain an opponent through the air and on the ground, if you lose the turnover and penalty battle, more than likely, you'll lose the game.

11 penalties for 79 yards and a -3 turnover margin are just not going to cut it. Antonio Pierce did not build the team this way, he does not coach the team this way, and the team will not win this way.