Team Grades: Raiders Defense Leaves Steelers Off The Hook In 38-35 Loss
By Abraham Gutierrez
With a golden opportunity to force overtime, the Silver and Black defense let the Ben Roethlisberger-less Steelers off the hook, allowing Pittsburgh to march down the field and kick the game-winning field goal, as Oakland dropped to 4-4 on the year by a final score of 38-35. Takeaways were also an issue for the visiting Raiders, as sloppy special teams play, fumbles and a pick led to Oakland losing the turnover battle 1-4 against the Steelers.
However, Jack Del Rio and Raider Nation got a little help from an unlikely source, as the Indianapolis Colts ended the (7-1) Denver Broncos hopes of a perfect season, as Oakland's chances to clinch the Wild Card, or perhaps even win the division, are still very much alive.
Offense: A-
Offensively, the Raiders went into the Steel City and executed pretty much everything they wanted to do. With a balanced attack, Oakland moved the chains on 24 occasions and tallying 440 yards. Despite losing the time of possession battle (27:56 to 32:04), the Raiders went 6-for-14 on third down situations, and registered 139 rushing yards and 301 passing yards on the afternoon.
Second-year quarterback Derek Carr became the first Raiders quarterback to throw a minimum of four touchdown passes in consecutive games since Tom Flores accomplished the feat in 1963. The Fresno State product connected on 24-of-44 pass attempts for 301 yards, four touchdowns and an interception for a quarterback rating of 96.9.
In the receiving end of most of Carr's passes was the Raiders' two-headed monster, which continued its assault on NFL defensive backs. Torching the Steelers secondary, Michael Crabtree (7 receptions, 108 yards, 2 TD) and Amari Cooper (7 receptions, 88 yards, TD) did their part, while rookie tight end Clive Walford made the most of his playing time with one catch for a score.
Through the ground, running back Latavius Murray (17 rushes for 96 yards) was on his way to his second straight 100-yard rushing game. However, his afternoon was cut short after he was taken to the locker room to undergo concussion protocol. In a rear sighting, backup full back Jamize Olawale showed off his abilities with an impressive 19-yard touchdown run that caught the Steelers defense napping.
Defense: F
In a game in which Big Ben had to be removed due to injury, and with running back Le'Veon Bell having been placed in season-ending IR, the Raiders defense went into Heinz Field and laid a giant goose egg. With a chance to extend their win streak to a season-best 3 games, Oakland surrendered 27 first downs and a whopping 597 yards of total offense.
The Steelers held on to the ball for 32:04 seconds, pounding the Raiders to the tune of 195 rushing yards, 402 passing yards, and converted on 6-of-17 third down situations. Prior to being carted off the field in the late stages of the game, Roethlisberger connected on 24-of-44 pass attempts for 334 yards, a pair of touchdowns and a pick to earn an 84.9 QBR.
With the game hanging by a thread, and with Michael Vick unavailable, Landry Jones led the Steelers in their game-winning drive. In his third year out of Oklahoma, the 26-year-old connected on 4-of-6 passes for 79, which was good enough to set up an 18-yard gimme for kicker Chris Boswell with two seconds remaining in the game.
Coaching: C-
Offensively, the Raiders did a terrific job going into a hostile environment and taking on one of the most physical teams in the league. Oakland was able to execute the gameplan to perfection, running the ball effectively, and throwing it deep when the opportunities presented themselves.
However, as stated above, this was a defensive nightmare for Ken Norton Jr. and his defense, as this bunch couldn't do anything against the Steelers. Not only was the execution terrible on the defensive end, but the fact that the Steelers were able to move the ball down the field in the final seconds of the game without much resistance, put a damper on what could have been a great afternoon for Raider Nation.
Abe Gutierrez's (Twitter: @GutierrezAbe) passion led him to ditch law school journey in order to launch his own publishing company. His expertise make him a valued addition to Examiner.com, AXS.com and the CBS-Sports family. Some of his work can be found on CBS-Miami (Dolphins), CBS-LosAngeles (Chargers), CBS-BayArea (Raiders), CBS-NewYork (NY Jets), CBS-TampaBay (Buccaneers), AXS.com, Examiner.com and other online publications.
