Close games against top teams
The Oakland Raiders of 2014 had a tendency to play below the level of their competition. But often times when this competition was of a higher caliber, the margin of difference was not very much.
The Raiders played the eventual champion New England Patriots tightly in Week 3, losing 16-9. After this game, speculation swept the league that Patriots quarterback Tom Brady had lost it and was over the hill. What this minimizes was the Raiders’ ability to contain and smother the Patriots passing attack while maintaining a steady pass rush.
Later, in Week 9, the Raiders traveled to noisy CenturyLink Field to take on the eventual NFC Champion Seahawks. They lost 30-24, but the Raiders forced Seahawks quarterback into a poor performance. A few less turnovers and the Raiders could have won. They proved that they could hang with the league’s elite, and one more year with the same core could push them into winning football.
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