After three straight losses, facing the Jaguars who had lost five straight looked like the Raiders’ best chance to pull out of their tailspin and put a W on the board. Little did we know just how lost this team has become.

Even with their supposed desire to give the fans in Oakland a win in their final game ever, the Raiders played uninspired football, scoring just one touchdown and fizzling down the stretch for their fourth straight loss.

It’s times like this that it seems like leading out with the Busters would be appropriate. But as per usual, I will list the exceptions to the debacle before laying out the ones who spoiled their efforts.

Baller: Darren Waller

It was a monumental day for the phenomenal young tight end. He caught 8 passes for 122 yards to reach 80 receptions for 1001 yards on the season, becoming just the second Raiders tight end ever to reach either of those marks in a season. And he did it with two games remaining in the season.

His first catch went for ten yards on the Raider’s opening drive. It put the team in Jacksonville territory and two plays later, they scored a touchdown.

The next drive went for a field goal with Waller catching a pass for 13 yards and a gorgeous over-the-shoulder pass for 36 yards to put the Raiders at the 18-yard-line.

Waller would catch passes of 12 and 15 yards on the next drive, but two sacks would back the Raider out of scoring range. A block by Waller helped DeAndre Washington pick up 9 yards to put the Raiders in scoring range again, but they would go backward from there, losing 15 yards on a tackle for loss, a penalty and a sack, leading to another punt.

But before the half, Waller would lay a key block on a 21-yard screen play and then make a 20-yard catch on a crossing route. This time they would get inside the 10-yard-line, but ran out of time and settled for a field goal to take a 16-3 halftime lead.

Waller had 106 yards at the half, when the Raiders actually scored some points. Waller’s best play in the second half was laying the block that allowed Derek Carr to pick up 12 yards on a scramble that put the Raiders in scoring range.

Unfortunately, Daniel Carlson would miss the field goal(s) and the Raiders were once again held scoreless. Waller also made the 10-yard catch to put the team in range of a couple Hail Mary attempts at the end.

[lawrence-newsletter]