When the Raiders knocked off the Chiefs in overtime 12 days ago to break a four-game losing streak, some believed it might be the spark to ignite a disappointing team.
Yet in their next game, the Raiders stumbled again, losing to the Bills in Buffalo Sunday by a 34-14 score.
Now at the halfway point of their 3-5 season, the Raiders remain in the basement of the AFC West, tied with the Chargers and trailing the 6-2 Chiefs and 3-4 Broncos. If Oakland is going to make its move toward gaining a playoff spot, it will need to come up with a victory this Sunday in Miami against the 4-3 Dolphins and then follow it up with a string of wins.
So far, the Raiders haven’t shown they can consistently win. Their offense has been up-and-down and their defense has been disappointing.
Yet head coach Jack Del Rio, who took his team to the playoffs in 2016 with a 12-4 record, is convinced the Raiders can come alive over the final eight games.
“It’s a faith thing,” Del Rio told the media. “You either believe or you don’t. I think that those things that all you see, those are all the little things that add up. Like I’ve said many times, we’ve got a prideful group of guys. We’re just not that far away, but we have to get it going. We’ve got some ground to make up. We have to get busy.
“The urgency, the attention to detail, is going to be heightened. With finding that, I think it’s a little bit of a confidence thing. It’s a bit of belief, and I do believe. It’s one of those things, you either have faith or you don’t.”
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One thing that should help Sunday is the return of primary running back Marshawn Lynch, who was suspended by the NFL for last week’s game for making contact with an official during the Chiefs game. In the loss at Buffalo this past Sunday, the Raiders paid very little attention to their running game, with quarterback Derek Carr throwing 49 times. With Lynch back, it’s possible offensive coordinator Todd Downing can emphasize the running game early to set a more physical tone and get Oakland rolling.
However, Downing’s offense in 2017 has been far less dynamic than the offense last season, which ranked sixth in the NFL under Bill Musgrave, who was let go in the offseason. Many fans have pointed to Downing as the Raiders’ biggest weakness this season. He’ll need to get more creative over the second half of this season, too, if the Raiders are to make a run. This year the Raiders rank 20th in total offense, a steep drop.
Kickoff for Sunday’s game is set for 5:30 p.m.
