Things did not go as planned for the Raiders in Week 12 as they were embarrassed on the road against the Jets. For a team that looked poised to get over the hump and finally become contenders in the AFC, their 34-3 loss to New York was a significant step backward.
In Doug Farrar’s recent power ranking piece at the Touchdown Wire, the Raiders dropped two spots on the list after their Week 12 loss. Take a look at what Farrar had to say about that game and the Raiders going forward:
Derek Carr came into Sunday’s game against the Jets with a 72.5% completion rate, an 8.0 yard-per-attempt average, 15 touchdown passes to five interceptions and a passer rating of 105.2 — good for sixth-best in the league. But Jon Gruden has never been known to be patient with his quarterbacks at the best of times, which Sunday wasn’t. Carr completed 15 of 27 passes for 127 yards and an interception before Gruden pulled him in favor of Mike Glennon, who fumbled on two of his first three snaps. Glennon wasn’t much better in the 34-3 loss to a Jets team that suddenly has come alive, and if Gruden can’t get things set on offense, the Raiders will go from possible playoff contender to immediate afterthought in a big hurry.
If the Raiders want to make the playoffs this season, they are likely going to need to win four of their next five games to get to 10-6. But with Kansas City on the schedule this week, that is easier said than done. Jon Gruden is going to need to get his young team ready to go after a tough loss last week, and it’s going to be fascinating to see how they respond.
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