Oakland Raiders Must Play Like A Desperate Team Against Carolina

The Oakland Raiders are taking on the Carolina Panthers in a game that’s important to both teams – and a game the more desperate team is likely to win.

Coming off a short week after an international game, some might think the Oakland Raiders might come out a bit flat against Cam Newton and the Carolina Panthers. Some across social media have even been musing out loud that the worst that can happen if Oakland loses, is that they’ll fall into a first place tie with the winner of the Kansas City-Denver matchup later today.

And hey, a first place tie, is still a tie, right?

While true, it’s a seductive thought. An easy rationalization to accept a loss. Hey, it’s just one loss, right? Yeah, but it’s also a dangerous mindset for the Raiders – and the fanbase – to be in. It’s a slippery slope that can lead from first place, to accepting a wild card, to being out of the playoff picture altogether. After all, there are six games left in the season, and with the playoff picture shaping up to be as tight as it is, anything can happen.

Now, obviously, that’s an extreme position to take. It doesn’t seem likely that the folks inhabiting Raiders HQ these days – Jack Del Rio, Derek Carr, Khalil Mack, Michael Crabtree, among others – are likely going to let this squad accept losing.

But let’s not forget recent history. Just go back to 2011, when the Raiders were 7-4 and looking like a playoff berth might be possible. Yeah, well, losses in four out of their next five games kept that from happening. And that was as close to the postseason as the Raiders have been since 2002.

But back to the task at hand – Del Rio’s stated mission is to capture the AFC West crown. At 8-2, it’s well within their sights, but they still have much work to do to see it come to fruition.

All of this is to say that the Raiders cannot afford a letdown today, against the Panthers. Carolina is a desperate team. After a Super Bowl appearance last year, this is now a team coming in at 4-6, and looking to cling to their quickly fading playoff hopes – and you can bet they will be playing with their hair on fire.

More from Golden Gate Sports

Oakland needs to match that intensity. They need to match that level of desperation. They need to play like the team in danger of missing the playoffs.

The game they played against the Houston Texans this past Monday night wasn’t pretty. It wasn’t a great look for a team looking to win a division title. Yeah, they won the game. But the running game, which has been a staple of this offense, managed just 30 yards against a Texans defense that usually gives them up by the bushel.

Derek Carr, Amari Cooper, and Jamzie Olawale made some timely plays that helped the pull their backsides out of the fire, but Michael Crabtree couldn’t catch a cold, and the three-headed beast of Latavius Murray, Jalen Richard, and DeAndre Washington were all well below par.

The defense made some plays, with Khalil Mack and Bruce Irvin each sacking Brock Osweiler. The defense also managed to force two turnovers and made some key plays to seal the win.

But overall, it wasn’t the best effort we’ve seen from this Raiders squad. Perhaps it was the altitude. Perhaps it was the pollution in the air. Perhaps it was the jitters of being on Monday Night Football. Perhaps it was a combination of all three things.

Next: Let's Talk About That Terrible, No Good Raiders Defense

Whatever it was though, this team needs to put forth a better effort against a Panthers team that is going to come out kicking, scratching, clawing, and biting. Carolina knows that their season is on the line – a win doesn’t necessarily guarantee that they’ll stay in the race, but a loss will most assuredly be the killing blow to their playoff dreams.

And that is exactly the mindset these Raiders must come out onto the field with. They cannot accept that a loss is okay simply because they’ll still be in first place. They have to be the more desperate team on the field today – because it’s very likely the more desperate team that’s going to win.

Home/Las Vegas Raiders News