OAKLAND -- Yeah, they played a football game at the Oakland Coliseum on Sunday. With all the pomp and circumstance and realization that this could, would, should be the final Oakland Raiders game at the venerable stadium, the Las Vegas-bound franchise still had business to handle.
But as has been the case for the past month, they didn't handle it, blowing a 10-point, fourth-quarter lead to lose to the Jacksonville Jaguars 20-16 on a day filled with so much emotion pouring from the stands. Because unless there are construction delays on Allegiant Stadium just off the Las Vegas Strip, this was it. The Raiders close the season with games at the Los Angeles Chargers and at the Denver Broncos.
The Raiders' losing streak was extended to four games. Even though this game wasn't a blowout like the past three -- which they lost by 31, 31 and 21 points -- it was arguably the most painful. The Raiders are now 6-8 and will be officially eliminated from the playoffs if the Pittsburgh Steelers win or tie Sunday night's game against the Buffalo Bills.
Describe the game in two words: Emotionally draining. How else to describe a game that marked the second end of the Raiders' run in the Coliseum, capping off eras that went from 1966 through 1981 and again from 1995 to present.
Buy a breakout performance: When in doubt, look for tight end Darren Waller. In cracking triple digits in receiving yards for the fourth time this season, Waller had eight catches for 122 yards (just short of his career-high 134 yards he had at the Minnesota Vikings in Week 3). Waller entered the day with 72 catches, which ranked third among NFL tight ends, and needed 121 yards to get to 1,000. It was Waller's fourth 100-yard receiving game of the season, tied for the most such games by a Raiders tight end in a single season in franchise history, along with Todd Christensen (three times) and Jared Cook (2018).
QB Breakdown: Derek Carr started hot, throwing for 148 yards in the first quarter, the second-most yards in a first quarter in his six-year career, including a 40-yard catch and run touchdown by Tyrell Williams. Carr, who was sacked four times, finished with 267 yards passing in completing 22 of 36 attempts. Does Carr join the Raiders in Las Vegas? If you’re into hints and clues, Raiders coach Jon Gruden has said he appreciates the job Carr has done with so many revolving parts around him.
Pivotal play: Daniel Carlson missed a 45-yard field goal with 1:44 left and the Raiders nursing a 16-13 lead. (It was his second shot at getting Oakland insurance points, as he had missed a 50-yarder that was nullified by a running-into-the-kicker penalty.) The Jaguars got the ball at their own 35 after Carlson's miss and drove 65 yards for the game-winning touchdown.