The Oakland Raiders were flat-out dominated by the New York Jets in Week 12 of the 2019 NFL season, going on the road and getting beat by a score of 34-3.
Although there were a number of issues that factored into the loss, there is no question that Oakland’s inability to bring in crucial catches was among the most notable. The Raiders had an alarming number of drops by their most trusted options in the passing game and it certainly did not do them any favors when it came to trying to swing the game around.
Wide receiver Tyrell Williams had been one of the culprits after dropping a pass that could have gone for a huge gain early. It seems the missed opportunity stuck with him after the game.
Williams admits he may have gotten a bit overzealous with trying to get upfield before securing the catch, via Scott Bair of NBC Sports:
“I just had my eye up the field a little too quickly,” Williams said after the Raiders’ 34-3 loss at MetLife Stadium.
Williams added that those are plays that must be made if Oakland intends on competing for the playoffs:
“When you get those opportunities, you have to take advantage,” Williams said. “It’s going to be tough no matter who you’re playing on the road, so you have to [capitalize].”
Williams was hardly the only receiver to drop a crucial pass that would have helped provide a spark in the offense. Wide receiver Hunter Renfrow and running back Jalen Richard each had plays where they should have been able to haul in the throw by quarterback Derek Carr but failed to do so.
While the Raiders tend to prefer a run-heavy approach, it is clear that was not going to happen against a Jets team that had been one of the best rush defenses in the 2019 campaign. They needed to instead be able to take advantage of their porous secondary in the passing game, however, it never came to fruition.
Unfortunately, this appeared to simply be a side effect of Oakland not being on the same page during their road trip to New York. When one part of the offense was finally doing its job, another would make a mistake that ultimately led to a number of missed opportunities.
It is no secret that the Raiders blew an opportunity to potentially take control of the AFC West following an abysmal outing on the road. They now find themselves in a must-win situation against the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 13.
