In the last Battle of the Bay, the Oakland Raiders embarrassed themselves. In a game that saw an undrafted quarterback torch the Raiders, questions abound. Oakland played with little heart, zero pride, and a dearth of emotion as the 49ers humbled them, 34-3. With this classic local rivalry ending, this game marks the saddest chapter in its storied history.
Pass Rush
Entering the game, the Raiders owned one QB hit since London. Facing a struggling Niners line, Oakland generated nothing upfront. Unknown, now 49er cult hero Nick Mullens decimated the Raiders, while standing tall in the pocket. At no time, during his 22 dropbacks did Mullens feel threatened. Like Andrew Luck the week before, the Raiders failed in every way possible to get upfield. As a result, Mullens patiently picked them apart. Granted, instead of boasting a “who’s who”, Oakland employs a “ who’s that” along the defensive line. Yet, if they could not rattle an inexperienced starter, how will they tackle Philip Rivers next week? During the game, you could see Jon Gruden barking at Paul Guenther, who did nothing to adjust at the half and appeared resigned to hold this loss like a newborn.
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Receivers
After Amari left via trade, the curious part of the offense remains the wideouts. With Cooper gone, stepped up. In addition, veterans like Brandon LaFell keep finding playing time. In that case, counting on any meaningful production remains the impossible dream.
Carr
Trying to build upon his stellar game versus the Colts, Derek Carr struggled. Behind an offensive line that could not block a troll on social media, Carr felt the sting of the turf seven times. To his credit, he wanted to continue, but Jon Gruden, in perhaps his finest coaching move since his return, mercifully yanked Carr.
Meaning
As this rivalry wraps up its California chapter, the Raiders showed what tanking truly means. Despite the scorching glare of national television, the team came up shorter than Kevin Hart, doing Army crawls. Moreover, with the draft picks looming, the team is loading up for Vegas. Nothing sinks lower than a team that completely quit on its coach. Can you really blame them? Dismantling a franchise and betting on potential while sacrificing the present does nothing for chemistry,
Up Next
The Raiders will now enjoy another bye. In nine days, the welcome the Chargers to O.co. With so much hedged on the future, the Raiders need to play for pride. At this point, nothing remains.
