Three things you need to know from Raiders' 27-10 loss to Washington

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LANDOVER, Md. – Three things you need to know about the Raiders’ 27-10 loss to the Washington football club:

1. Raiders eat ‘humble pie’

The Silver and Black were riding high after two dominant showings to start the season. That produced positive press clippings claiming the Raiders might have the league’s best offense and a real shot to win the AFC.

Everything went wrong against Washington, as the Raiders got outplayed and outcoached in every phase.

“This was one of those games that will wake you up,” edge rusher Khalil Mack said. “They served us some humble pie.”

The Raiders were honest about the fact they got their butts kicked. They gave credit to Washington, and admitted they didn’t play up to their high standard.

The hope is that it’s an aberration, not the start of a trend. The Raiders remained confident even in defeat, knowing they must play better to beat a tough Denver team on the road next week.

2. Third-down disaster

The Raiders offense faced 11 third downs on Sunday. They didn’t convert a single one. True story. That seems impossible given the level of offensive talent, but Oakland never earned a first down. That stat, more than any other in the box score, explains just how bad things got for a normally dynamic unit.

Head coach Jack Del Rio was beside himself looking at that stat. Derek Carr said that was the main problem with his unit.

“That’s not good. It sucked,” Carr said. “Getting off on third down, for a defense it gives them life. For the other offense, it’s joyful. It really is. We did not do a good job executing on third down, obviously. That just sucked. There’s no other word for it.”

It’s safe to call that stat an outlier. The Raiders converted 54 percent of their third downs over the first two games, before laying an egg in the nation’s capital.

3. Bullied up front

The Raiders might have the best offensive line in football. The front five didn’t play like that on Sunday night. Typically steady guys had an off night. Donald Penn was penalized. Marshall Newhouse struggled in pass protection. Even Kelechi Osemele was off. The Raiders struggled on the ground, and didn’t give Carr much time to get going. He was sacked four times on the night.

The offensive line makes the Raiders offense go. When it’s not right, the attack stalls out. Other teams will use this game film against the Raiders. That’s why the line has to get right in a hurry and put a bad day in the rearview.

“We have to keep practicing and get things fixed because people will watch this tape,” Osemele said. “We’ll go back to the drawing board and be more prepared next time.”

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