Oakland Raiders Continue To Be Their Own Worst Enemy

The Oakland Raiders got 2016 off to a good start with a thrilling come from behind win in New Orleans – yet even in victory, the team proved to be their own worst enemy.

It was a real problem for the Oakland Raiders over the course of the preseason. Of course, it’s been a problem for the Raiders since their inception, really. Or at least since the days of Al Davis, anyway. And that problem of course, is penalties.

Penalties have been an issue for the Silver and Black for time out of mind. But back during Oakland’s heyday, back when they were building their legend and mystique, the Raiders often committed penalties with a purpose. Many times, they took penalties to send a message. And that message of course, was that they were the bigger bullies on the block and would not be pushed around.

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And because they were busy sending plenty of messages in those days, the Raiders were typically among the league leaders in drawing flags.

Over time though, the message Oakland is sending with its penalty taking has changed. These days, the message seems to be that they are an undisciplined group prone to making boneheaded mistakes. Holding. False starts. Play clock violations. Pass interference. Offsides. Players lined up in the neutral zone. A couple of years back, one referee even hit the Raiders with a penalty for “lingering.”

All of that to say – if there is a way to draw a yellow flag and give up some valuable real estate on the field in the process, the Raiders are going to find a way to do it. It’s enough to make a coach – or even a devoted fan – want to tear their hair out.

As the Raiders racked up penalties throughout the preseason, the common refrain from many people was that the penalties were being committed by guys who wouldn’t be with the team opening weekend. They seemed to believe that once the roster was trimmed to 53, the penalty problem would somehow be pink slipped right along with the players.

Though it’s a nice thought, that’s what we here in something called reality call “wishful thinking.”

Instead of the penalty problem being released with a lot of players, it is just as bad – if not worse – than it was over the course of the preseason. Against the Saints, the flags came early and often – and for a variety of boneheaded reasons.

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For the game, Oakland racked up a staggering 14 penalties, giving up 141 yards of field position in the process. By far, the most of any team in the league over the first week of the season. As it stands right now, the Buffalo Bills and New York Jets are tied with the Raiders with 14 penalties – only, the Bills and Jets have played twice already.

The Raiders were flagged for two false starts, two offensive holding, four defensive holding, one time for pass interference, and three times for defensive pass interference. But perhaps the most egregiously boneheaded penalty was on Michael Crabtree.

After pulling down the decisive two point conversion, Crabtree celebrated a little too hard and drew a 15 yard flag. With just under a minute to go and an offense as explosive as New Orleans’ is, that could have been an absolute disaster.

As it was, Drew Brees guided his offense down to the Raiders’ 43 yard line in 47 seconds, setting up a field goal attempt to win the game. The football gods must have smiled upon the Raiders as the 61 yard attempt had the distance, but went wide.

If not for Sebastian Janikowski knocking the cover off the ball on the kickoff and a little timely defense at the end, that game could have turned out much differently. Crabtree’s 15 yard penalty could have doomed the Raiders to a long, quiet flight home.

Thankfully, it didn’t turn out that way. But it illustrates perfectly, just how badly the Raiders are their own worst enemy. They have a penchant for doing something great, and then following that up by doing something that makes you want to beat your head against the wall.

14 penalties is way too many penalties to take in a game. In a game where inches and feet count, giving the opposing team 141 free yards is as dangerous as it is unacceptable.
The Raiders are a talented team. Perhaps, one of the most talented in the league. However, even the absolute best teams in the league cannot and will not succeed if they let themselves be penalized as often as the Raiders are. No team can survive the constant mental mistakes week in and week out, and expect to be there at the end.

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Oakland was fortunate that the abundance of penalties they took against New Orleans didn’t come back to haunt them too much. But if they continue accruing them at the epic clip they are currently accruing them at, they likely aren’t going to continue to be as fortunate.

The problem quite obviously was not players destined for the practice squad or the unemployment lines like many believed. The problem is that this squad sometimes plays undisciplined football. And if they don’t get that corrected – and corrected soon – it most assuredly will come back to bite them.