Oakland Raiders Offense Struggles in 24-7 Loss to Chiefs

Oct 13, 2013; Kansas City, MO, USA; Kansas City Chiefs running back Jamaal Charles (25) runs the ball as Oakland Raiders linebacker Kaelin Burnett (95) attempts the tackle during the second half at Arrowhead Stadium. The Chiefs won 24-7. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

The Oakland Raiders “almost” handed the Kansas City Chiefs their first loss of their season, but as good as their defense was, their offense needed a lot of work. Terrelle Pryor was sacked 10 times; he threw three interceptions, but also a 39-yard touchdown pass. Unfortunately for the Raiders, however, the Chiefs were able to capitalize on their mistakes and win the game. Jamaal Charles carried the load by scoring two rushing touchdowns.

In the first quarter of this game, both teams opened with excellent defense as we saw a couple of sacks and a scoreless period. In the first possession of the game, the Chiefs only gained 13 yards, and were forced to punt at their own 33. This gave Oakland their first chance to score. On their first possession, however, they lost three yards in four downs, and were forced to punt right back. Offense started out slow for both teams, but the defense was proving to be phenomenal.

The first signs of any offensive life became apparent when the Chiefs had their third possession, where they advanced to Oakland’s 42-yard line. Unfortunately for them, however, they were able to go no further, and punted. In this first quarter, neither teams were particularly close to scoring, but luckily, Pryor and the Raiders got things started in the second.

Early in this second quarter, the Raiders were able to advance all the way to the Kansas City’s 33-yard line. They set up for a field goal, but in a rare occurrence, Sebastian Janikowski missed it short. But the defense was able to get the job done and give the Chiefs no yards at all on the ensuing drive. Alex Smith was thwarted on all three of his pass attempts, and the ball went right back to the Raiders.

On the second drive of the quarter, Pryor’s 39-yard touchdown pass to Denarius Moore put the Raiders on the scoreboard for the first time. Kansas City got on the board later in the second quarter when Charles snuck up the middle for a gain of seven and a touchdown. The game was tied 7-7 heading into halftime.

Both teams were able to stop each other defensively for most of the third quarter until the four-minute mark, where the Chiefs struck again. Pryor’s pass, intended for Rod Streater was picked off by Quintin Demps, who was taken down at Oakland’s 23-yard line. The Chiefs advanced to the two-yard line, where Charles ran two yards down the middle for another touchdown. The Chiefs closed the third leading 14-7.

The Raiders didn’t have much luck in the fourth quarter either. In their second possession of the fourth quarter, they found themselves at their own 12-yard line with 48 yards to go on a fourth down. A penalty and sack cost the Raiders a lot of yards, and they suffered the consequences. On their next drive, Pryor threw another pass right into the hands of Marcus Cooper. A field goal by the Chiefs sealed the deal with 2:09 remaining in the quarter, making it 17-7.

To add insult to injury, the Chiefs got the ball back and scored once again picking off another pass from Pryor. This time, it was Husain Abdullah who got his hands in the passing lane. He ran it all the way into the end zone for a touchdown. As the clock expired, the Raiders found themselves on the losing end of a 24-7 score.

The key stat of the day, for the Chiefs at least, was the seven sacks that they recorded on Pryor. The Raiders haven’t been looking bad lately, but a couple of offensive holes have made them very vulnerable. If they want to salvage this season, they need to find a way to cover up these holes, as Pryor continues to develop as a starting quarterback.