Images of a quizzical 38-0 loss to the Jets in 2009 flashed.
Visions of that bemusing 52-0 defeat at St. Louis in 2014 materialized.
Echoes from last month’s 41-24 no-show at Washington bounded about.
This, though, was something else. Because after the defense put the clamps on Indianapolis to start the game, the Colts scored touchdowns on their next six – SIX! – possessions, making the loss of their placekicker Spencer Shrader to a second-quarter knee injury a non-factor.
Offensively, Geno Smith was picked off two more times, once on a tipped ball in the red zone, another on a route that rookie receiver Dont’e Thornton appeared to misplay, and Smith now has an NFL-leading nine interceptions (yes, coach Pete Carroll admitted he thought of replacing Smith with backup Kenny Pickett late but thought it better for the first-team offense to get more “practice” in the game. Fair enough).
And special teams whiffed on another block, this one perhaps even more costly. A week after the Bears blew through virtually untouched to knock down Daniel Carlson’s potential game-winning field goal, AJ Cole suffered a right ankle injury when Segun Olubi raced through, also virtually untouched, to block his second-quarter punt and Cole was reduced to holding duties while Carlson was forced to punt.
How did this happen, you ask? For one, injuries have exasperated while taking a toll on a team that is not all that deep.
It’s been said here since training camp that while the Raiders have top-tier talent at several positions, it was also a relatively top-heavy roster. One that would suffer mightily due to a dropoff and be exposed with a key injury or two.
The Raiders on Sunday not only lost Cole, a unique weapon who can flip the field, but were also without stalwart left tackle Kolton Miller, who is on injured reserve with a right ankle injury, All-Pro tight end Brock Bowers, whose left knee has not responded the way he’d like since getting injured in Week 1, tight end Michael Mayer, who suffered a concussion two weeks ago, cornerback Eric Stokes, whose knee injury also did not cooperate, and linebacker Germaine Pratt, who did not make the trip.
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