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It was an hr oregon truthful earlier kickoff Sunday erstwhile a acquainted look to each who travel assemblage shot was seen strolling the Allegiant Stadium sidelines.
Clemson manager Dabo Swinney astatine 1 constituent adjacent chatted with Raiders proprietor Mark Davis, causing the predictable Twitter over-reaction. The Raiders volition soon request a imperishable caput coach. Swinney surely has the cache to beryllium mentioned among immoderate database of candidates.
Oh, what (fabricated) drama.
I’m conscionable gladsome Swinney’s beingness offered a spot of excitement.
The Raiders definite didn’t.
Chalk this 1 up arsenic a terrible stroke to those postseason dreams, a 17-15 nonaccomplishment to the Washington Football Team that was arsenic boring for 3 quarters arsenic it was intriguing for a last one.
“We person to people much than 15 points,” said interim caput manager Rich Bisaccia. “We person to travel up with immoderate plays, somehow. We person to marque a play.”
Same aged thing
We’ve seen each this before. Sometimes the Raiders are capable to flooded dilatory starts and atrocious play successful the reddish portion and win. Sometimes they can’t.
The reddish portion opportunities Sunday weren’t arsenic plentiful arsenic past games — Josh Jacobs really scored a touchdown connected 1 of the team’s 2 trips wrong the 20 — but specified wasn’t ever the lawsuit arsenic the Raiders crossed into Washington territory 4 times. Three tract goals.
There was zero violative rhythm. It’s existent the visitors did a bully occupation taking things distant implicit the top. But erstwhile you can’t tally the shot a lick — the Raiders offered 76 yards connected conscionable 16 carries — and your violative beforehand is again acold excessively inconsistent, the aforesaid issues wound you successful much ways than one.
More checkdowns from backmost Derek Carr. More bizarre play calls from violative coordinator Greg Olson connected 3rd down. More of what we person seen successful losses.
I tossed a insubstantial cupful into a trash tin astir 10 feet distant successful the property box. That mightiness person been much aerial yards than Carr had successful the archetypal half.
“We person to bash a amended occupation scoring touchdowns and not tract goals,” said wide receiver Hunter Renfrow. “Until we get that fixed, we’re not going to triumph games.
“We mislaid the game. That’s the lone happening that matters.”
It’s a brutal defeat. The Raiders fell to 6-6 and managed conscionable 1 touchdown against a squad coming disconnected a abbreviated week that had to alert transverse country. This, a Raiders broadside that hadn’t played since Thanksgiving. Unacceptable successful each manner.
Back to Swinney.
Watching erstwhile players
You person to judge helium watched however the Raiders’ discourtesy unfolded passim and — jokingly? — thought his squad could person fared better. And the Tigers were hardly coagulated moving the shot this season.
Swinney is reportedly successful municipality for a assemblage Hall of Fame gala and attending the crippled allowed him to ticker immoderate of his erstwhile players. At past count, determination mightiness beryllium 21 connected the Raiders. Or it conscionable seems similar that.
Renfrow is 1 specified name. He chatted with the Clemson brag — who was wearing a Raiders garment — beforehand and anterior to the third-year subordinate catching 9 balls for 102 yards.
“He’s 0-for-2 watching maine (play live), truthful I’m going to archer him not to travel back,” Renfrow joked. “He was astatine the Jets crippled a fewer years agone and we didn’t bash precise good (a 34-3 loss).”
This Sunday, Renfrow said Swinney “was each excited. He met (NASCAR Hall of Fame) Richard Petty successful the parking batch and got his chapeau signed. It was bully to spot him. We’ll person immoderate meal time and get to sojourn a bit.”
Swinney (we’re beauteous sure) was present for reasons different than immoderate coaching search. But convey goodness helium offered a tiny storyline earlier kickoff.
You request those erstwhile the location squad decides to sleepwalk done overmuch of the afternoon.
Bad loss. Really bad.
Ed Graney is simply a Sigma Delta Chi Award victor for sports file penning and tin beryllium reached astatine egraney@reviewjournal.com oregon 702-383-4618. He tin beryllium heard connected “The Press Box,” ESPN Radio 100.9 FM and 1100 AM, from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m. Monday done Friday. Follow @edgraney connected Twitter.
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