Raiders Blown Out By Ravens 55-20

Nov 11, 2012; Baltimore, MD, USA; Oakland Raiders fullback Marcel Reece (45) runs for a gain past Baltimore Ravens linebacker Dannell Ellerbe (59) at M

Well, at this point, I think the Oakland Raiders’ season is done. With this horrible 55-20 loss to the Baltimore Ravens, they fall to 3-6. They also play in a division that is led by one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time, Peyton Manning.

As for the game today, where do I even start?

The Raiders played garbage defense, as the Ravens were able to score seven touchdowns. They threw for three touchdowns, rushed for three, and Jacoby Jones even returned a kickoff for a 105-yard touchdown. Oh yeah, and don’t forget that one of their rushing touchdowns came from a fake field goal that John Harbaugh called up when the Ravens were already leading by 24 points.

The  Raiders’ defensive line just looked completely out of it, as they could hardly put any pressure on Joe Flacco. Flacco had all the time in the world and was able to convert on pass after pass to his talented wide receivers, which included Anquan Boldin and Torrey Smith. Smith reeled in only two passes for 67 yards, but both of his catches were touchdowns. Tight end Dennis Pitta also got involved, as he snagged five passes for 67 yards to go with a touchdown reception. Boldin had four catches for 38 yards.

The Raiders’ secondary had a tough time covering these receivers, despite cornerback Ron Bartell making his first appearance since breaking his shoulder blade in their first game of the season. Michael Huff, who had a sensational game, was able to pick off Flacco once, as he tipped the ball to himself and tapped his toes on the sideline for the marvelous interception.

As for the Raiders’ offense, it was just as rough. They were only able to put up two touchdowns, but to be fair, they were nice. In the second quarter, Carson Palmer threw to Darrius Heyward-Bey, who caught the ball and took a huge hit from Ed Reed, but kept his feet moving and ran it all the way for a 55-yard touchdown. Then, in the third quarter, Palmer unleashed a beautiful lob to Denarius Moore, who reeled in the 30-yard touchdown strike. But other than that and two Sebastian Janikowski field goals, the Raiders failed to put any more points up on the board.

I will admit that it’s extremely tough to execute a successful offense when your top two running backs are inactive. And especially when one of those running backs is the incredibly talented and versatile Darren McFadden. The other was Mike Goodson, and he’s been nothing but productive in his first season with the Raiders. Both are dealing with high ankle sprains and will hopefully be healthy soon.

Like I said in the beginning, I think the Raiders’ season is done. They stand at a weak 3-6 and their next game will be against the hot New Orleans Saints, who earlier today, defeated the previously undefeated Atlanta Falcons. The week after that? They play the Cincinnati Bengals, led by the young and talented duo of Andy Dalton and A.J. Green.

So for now, the Raiders need to get healthy and evaluate themselves. Make adjustments and improve. I believe their season is over, but I would love for them to prove me wrong.