There was a very different feel pulling into the Oakland Coliseum parking lot Sunday. I suppose part of it was knowing it was the last time I would be doing it. But mainly it was because every fan in the parking lot was feeling it too.
There is always plenty of tailgating going on, but this time everywhere I turned, there was a sense of finality to it. One last hurrah. Groups of fans and boosters were taking group photos, some fans were spending a bit more time at the tailgates than they normally do, while others were lining up early to get a longer last look at the stadium with the Raiders field still in place.
I even stumbled upon a marriage proposal.
The stars were out with all the Raiders greats on hand, appearing to be giving the Raiders fans in Oakland a proper send-off.
All that was left was for the team to handle business on the field to give everyone something to cheer for one last time.
About that…
Well, the game began exactly what the Raiders hoped for. They got the ball first and drove for a touchdown, finishing it off with a 40-yard touchdown pass from Derek Carr to Tyrell Williams.
After that, the two teams swapped field goals, making for three scoring drives to begin the game. It was looking like it could be another shootout for the Raiders.
That’s where the shootout ended, though. The Raiders would score a couple field goals late in the second quarter to take a 16-3 lead into the half.
At the half, the Raiders great took the field, but not because it was the last game in Oakland. It was the celebrate the 60th anniversary. There was no Oakland specific theme to it. One of the players given an ovation was Marcus Allen, who never played a down for the Oakland Raiders. All 11 of his seasons in Silver & Black were while the team was in LA. He would only face the Oakland Raiders as a rival with the Chiefs in his final three NFL seasons.
With the Raiders holding onto a two-score lead, any points would have been significant. The jaguars had lost five straight, so coming back from three scores down to win it would figure to be a steep hill to climb.
But the Raiders couldn’t do it. Not one point. After scoring 16 in the first half, they went cold in the second half. And after the defense gave up just 3 points to the Jaguars on their opening drive, they surrendered three scores on four drives, two of which were touchdown drives.
The Raiders had their chances. In particular, kicker Daniel Carlson had two chances at a field goal, but missed both attempts from 50 and 45 yards. It shouldn’t have even come to that, though, but Tyrell Williams dropped a pass over the middle that would have either resulted in a first down with under two minutes remaining or gotten them in closer for a shorter field goal while running more time off the clock.
With 1:44 remaining, the Jaguars got the ball and drove it down the field for a touchdown to take a 20-16 lead.
That would do it. And the crowd that was with the Raiders most of the day watch the game slip away right in front of them, just as they had so many times before. This time it carried with it an extra pain.
Two knocked down Hail Mary passes from Derek Carr ended the game and in the Raiders’ final play on the Oakland Coliseum field, they were booed mercilessly.
The victory lap Derek Carr took after the Big win over the Broncos last year when they thought that could have been the team’s last game in Oakland was a distant memory.
Carr still ventured over to the Black Hole to say hello to super fan Gorilla Rilla. But this time he was met with boos and jeers from many of the fans there who place much of the blame for the toothlessness of the offense on him.
“I saw a couple of people, a little kid, a couple people I’ve seen over the years. I just said thanks, you know? Whenever I’m done playing football, they can get mad at somebody else someday that’s the quarterback, you know what I mean?”
Carr didn’t hang around. The projectiles began flying in from the stands from an emotionally raw fanbase that feels like their energy and support have gone unrewarded. Best to not be there for it.
The anger boiled over. In-fighting and jeering continued well after the players and coaches had headed for the locker room and only security and stadium police remained. Many attempting to dodge a few bottles and beer showers.
Carr had nothing to say to the fans afterward. He seemed stung by the reaction, saying “What’s new with this crowd?” and when asked for a message, he just said, “they don’t want to hear anything right now.”
Booing is not somehow unique to this crowd. And it certainly isn’t unwarranted. They have stuck by this team despite one winning season in 17 years and knowing for two-plus years that they’re leaving them. And the swan song is the Raiders losing four straight, including three straight in the Coliseum. So, let’s not act like they are just a bunch of spoiled brats who are prone to booing.
Clelin Ferrell has been a Raider all of 14 games and he understands that.
“I know what these fans have been through over the years. They weren’t wrong for doing what they did. We had the game the whole time, but we didn’t finish. That’s the biggest thing. How could you not be mad? So we take full responsibility for it. . . I know it was tough on the fans.”
There was no way this was going to end without some sadness. The fans just hoped to make the good feeling last as long as possible. It didn’t make it out of the first half.
You always wish people could handle these things better. And some of these fans will probably regret a few things when they cool off. But don’t you dare sit in judgment. Let them vent. They’re hurting. Let them vent.
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