Oakland Raiders: Notes and Observations From Week Three

Sep 19, 2015; Ann Arbor, MI, USA; Penalty flag on the field during the game between the Michigan Wolverines and the UNLV Rebels at Michigan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports

Dirty Laundry

This is such a recurring theme that is getting redundant. Once again, the Raiders drew far too many flags and gave up far too many yards because of penalties. And we’re not talking about the penalties the Raiders of old used to take to intimidate an opponent and get inside their heads. These Raiders are taking some bad penalties and giving up a lot of field position in doing so — something a team with a pass defense as porous as theirs can ill afford to do.

Against the Browns, the Raiders were flagged a dozen times for a total of 85 yards. And if you’re scoring at home, for the season, the Raiders have been flagged 33 times and have given up 223 yards in penalties. That’s a whole lot of flags and a whole lot of yards.

Not only are the Raiders taking a high number of flags and giving up huge amounts of penalty yardage, they’re also giving up sometimes critical first downs, allowing their opponents to extend drives, and in some cases, go on to score — something that this Raiders’ defense can’t afford to let happen.

The Raiders need to stop shooting themselves in the foot and start playing more disciplined football. When he came in, HC Jack Del Rio said it was a problem he was aware of and would take steps to correct. Three weeks in, we’re still waiting to see those corrections.

This Raiders team has to learn to start playing smart and stop inflicting wounds upon themselves.

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