Busters: Jon Gruden, Paul Guenther

This team is a travesty in the second half. Sometimes they’re a travesty in the first half too, but this week they just saved the worst for last. In their three straight losses, they were facing good teams either on hot streaks or in their own house. This one was neither. Not by a long shot.

This was a team on a severe cold streak and it was in the final game in Oakland. If they can’t get up for that, they can’t get up for anything. That falls on coaching first and foremost.

The Raiders began the game with a commanding 16-3 lead, but even then there were signs things were not what they should be. The offense scored a touchdown on the opening drive, but couldn’t get out of their own way after that, leading to three stalled drives for field goals.

Gruden was thinking this team could coast to a win the rest of the way. Otherwise, there’s no excuse for punting on 4th and one at the Jacksonville 49 early in the third quarter. You go for it in that situation every time. But Gruden played it conservatively. And the Jaguars crept back in it.

The second half saw the Jaguars come back to score 17 points while the Raiders scored none. It began with a long drive for a field goal at the end of the third quarter. Then a stop and a drive for a touchdown to begin the fourth. And suddenly it was a 3-point game.

One more chance for the Raiders to get on the board in the second half. They drove into Jacksonville territory and Carr ran for it. He picked up 12 yards and slid inbounds along the right sideline. He was erroneously ruled out which stopped the clock. Gruden tried to challenge it, but it was not a challengeable play and he lost a timeout instead.

In the end, the Raiders put their hopes on the leg of Daniel Carlson from 50 yards out. He missed wide left. Twice.

Gruden was rightfully livid about Carr being ruled out of bounds despite obviously sliding inbounds. But if you’re pinning your hopes of winning this game on that, then you’ve already lost.

The Jaguars took over at the Oakland 35 with 1:44 remaining and everyone watching had the same sinking feeling. They could sense it coming since at least the third quarter and perhaps before that. Impending doom. On the first play, was a wide-open 8-yard catch.

Then the Minshew had the middle of the field wide open to scramble for 8 yards. Then a blown coverage led to an astonishingly wide open Chris Conley on a cross for 21 yards. They were in range to tie it right there with 47 seconds still left.

A roughing the passer penalty on Dion Jordan put them in first and goal. Three plays later, they scored the game-winning touchdown. And the Coliseum crowd that had already been feeling a dreadful sense of déjà vu was now furious that this is what they all came out to bid farewell to.

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