Raiders Unable to Finish Against Detroit

“We had a chance to win the game,”---Head Coach Hue Jackson

By Barbara Mason
Raiderdrive.com/Bay Area Sports Drive

In a division that is tighter than a drum the Oakland Raiders, best bet was to win out and let the chips fall where they may.  Oakland does need a little help from their friends as well as coming out on top of the final three games of the 2011 season.  The first of those final three games was played on Sunday against the Detroit Lions, a team that has had its share of ups and downs after starting off the season like gangbusters.

Oakland’s openings drive, a drive that should have turned up at least 3 points, stalled when the Raiders went on a 4^th and one that failed. Those three points would come back to haunt the team.  The Raiders second drive was fast and clean (penalty free) resulting in a touchdown and the 7-0 lead.  A Louis Murphy 12 yard romp gave Oakland the early advantage.  Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford tied up the game at seven off a 51 yard pass to Calvin Johnson as the first quarter began to wind down.

The first series of the second quarter was another strong one for the Silver and Black as Palmer found Darrius Heyward-Bey for a short pass down the middle for 43 yards and the touchdown.  The 14-7 Oakland lead was tied back up at 14 when Detroit’s Stafford connected with Nate Burleson for 39 yards and the score  With 1:14 left in the half the Raiders had time to try to take back the lead.  With 5 seconds left in the half Sebastian Janikowski kicked a 46 yard field goal for the go-ahead score 17-14.  A solid offensive and defensive effort by Oakland kept their foot on the throttle after a disappointing past few weeks for the Silver and Black.    

Squandering two promising series in the third quarter, one series squelched by penalty and the second off a Heyward-Bey fumble deep in Detroit territory, Oakland went back to work in the fourth quarter still hanging onto the slim 17-14 lead.  Another impressive Raider drive culminated this time in a 51-yard field goal to put the Raiders ahead 20-14. 

With 7:47 left in the fourth quarter, the play that the Raiders so desperately needed materialized as Detroit quarterback Stafford was stripped deep in Lion territory.  Oakland’s Aaron Curry picked it up and waltzed into the end zone for a 6-yard run and in the blink of an eye; the Raider’s lead was extended to 27-14.  The Raiders Tommy Kelly was credited with the force. 

Detroit marched downfield with seven minutes left in the game and with 4:59 on the clock, Matthew Stafford led his team downfield for the touchdown that would cut their deficit to six, 21-27.  It would be up to the Raider offense to move the ball as well as burning the clock.  With several running first downs, time was running out for the Detroit Lions who had used all their time-outs. Unable to hang onto the ball Oakland was forced to punt.  Pinning the Lions on their own two-yard line Detroit had a slim chance to pull this one out.   With Matthew Stafford at the helm, the Detroit Lions took that slim chance to the bank moving downfield with ease culminating in a Calvin Johnson 6-yard romp into the end zone taking the lead 28-27 with 35 seconds left on the clock.  What looked like the Raiders 8^th win of the season turned into a complete disaster.  With 4 seconds left in the game Sebastian Janikowski attempted a 65-yard field goal that was blocked and Detroit pulled off an incredible win 28-27.

A disappointed and frustrated Head Coach Hue Jackson met with the media after the game.  “That team (Detroit) went ninety-eighty yards and found a way to win,” he said referring to the Lions final game winning drive.  “We had a chance to win the game.  We didn’t get done what we needed to get done to win this game.  When you don’t capitalize on opportunities you leave the door open for a team like that.” 

Inability to finish games has been a thorn in the team’s side this season along with a whole lot more.  This game was beautifully set up for a Raider win yet they managed to lose.  They simply collapsed into a heap of non-plays to let this one slip away in the waning seconds sending this sell-out crowd home in utter disbelief. 

Poor defensive play on that final drive as well as the choice to go on fourth and one in the opening series instead of kicking the field goal became a very big deal in this game.  The Raiders are now 7-7 for the season with two games left.   With so much opportunity coming into this game, it’s hard to understand what is going on with this team.  Denver losing on Sunday opened the door for Oakland.  While there is still a chance for the Raiders one has to bear in mind the way that the San Diego Chargers are playing as they tore the Ravens apart Sunday night and the Kansas City Chiefs beating the formerly unbeaten Green Bay Packers.        

Sadly, the only team that is not stepping up in the division is the Oakland Raiders.  They have two games left in this season to prove that they can indeed finish a game.  Oakland played well enough to win this game; it just came down to that final drive.