Oakland Raiders vs. Detroit Lions: Oakland Grades, Notes and Quotes

The Oakland Raiders dropped their third consecutive game due to mental errors and several paper cuts inflicted by the Detroit Lions on Sunday in Detroit.

It’s impossible to pinpoint one particular play that turned the tide in this contest, but it’s important to look at poor execution, specifically on the offensive side of the ball.

The Raiders started off sluggish, resembling an out-of-sync offense going three-and-out against the league’s No. 25 defense in yards allowed. Oakland’s high-powered offense failed to reach field-goal range and put a big doughnut on the scoreboard going into halftime, down 9-0. 

For Oakland, the second half started with some hope. A rare, deep throw to wide receiver Seth Roberts for 43 yards seemed to instantly energize the passing attack. Then, the offense returned to its unsynchronized form with poor placement on passes and drops from receivers. 

Two Sebastian Janikowski kicks propelled the Raiders to a third-quarter lead, but the defense failed to remain firm without the offense holding its weight. The Lions eventually broke down the front seven with quarterback scrambles and a string of run plays to drain the clock.

The Raiders defense spent 36 minutes and two seconds on the field, and it eventually eroded due to fatigue late in the game. The Lions’ running back trio went from the worst in the league to unstoppable late in the fourth quarter.

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