Raiders report card: Grades for offense, defense in 16-15 loss to Broncos

DENVER – The Raiders should have won Sunday’s game against the Denver Broncos. That’s plain and simple. They rolled up yards in the first half with precious few points to show for it.

They were in it at the end despite those facts, engineering a last-minute comeback attempt that fell just short. A failed two-point conversion attempt ultimately decided this 16-15 result at Empower Field at Mile High.

The Raiders had 477 yards and one touchdown. Wrap your brain around that. They were 1-for-5 in the red zone, with their only touchdown coming in that late-game flurry.

That’s, you know, awful.

That’s also why the Raiders ended up below .500 on the season. They wasted too many opportunities to make the playoffs. They ultimately fell short in this game to finish the season with five losses in their last six games.

They get an A for effort, though, for fighting to win even after it was announced that the Tennessee Titans’ victory over Houston formally eliminated the Raiders from playoff contention.

Some of the other marks might not be so nice in this week’s Raiders report card:

Rushing offense

Josh Jacobs was a no-go on Sunday, formally ruled out by the Raiders a day before. DeAndre Washington functioned well in his second straight game as Raiders feature back, recording 77 rushing yards on 17 carries and eight receptions for 55 yards.

The Raiders averaged 4.4 yards per carry as a team, with Jalen Richard impactful as well. The most important rush went nowhere, however, with Alec Ingold stuffed before the goal line on fourth down.

Grade: B-plus

Passing offense

Derek Carr started the game hot but cooled in the second half and couldn’t connect enough in the red zone despite finishing with 391 yards passing. He hit Hunter Renfrow for a three-yard touchdown pass in the waning moments, but had a pass deflected on the two-point conversion. Darren Waller (six catches, 107 yards) was dominant in the first half, until the Broncos made a concerted effort to take him away.

Hunter Renfrow (six catches, 102 yards) made some big plays in the second half. Tyrell Williams was pulled in the second half with injured feet and wasn’t targeted all day. There were plenty of plays the Raiders would like back, including some key drops and a few altitude-related misfires.

Grade: B-minus

Rushing defense

The Raiders had a solid season stopping the run. They allowed just 2.6 yards per carry, with feature back Phillip Lindsay at 2.9. Maxx Crosby had a great day off the edge, with strong push from Johnathan Hankins and Maurice Hurst on the inside. The Broncos couldn’t close this game out running the ball like they wanted to, which gave the Raiders a chance to make a legitimate comeback.

Grade: A-minus

Passing defense

The Raiders held Broncos rookie quarterback Drew Lock to 177 yards passing. He was never in a great rhythm, but lined a short touchdown pass to fullback Andrew Beck that was pivotal in this result. Maxx Crosby was involved in both Raiders sacks and had a forced fumble.

The Raiders couldn’t snag an interception despite a few close calls. Cortland Sutton was generally covered well, with just 52 yards on four catches.

Grade: B

[RELATED: Raiders have mixed emotions after last game representing Oakland]

Special teams

Daniel Carlson missed another field goal Sunday, one from within 40 yards. That’s a no-no. While Gruden said he’ll let Carlson kick himself out of his current slump, the Raiders would be wise to bring in some competition next training camp.

Hunter Renfrow muffed a punt and was thankful Ingold recovered it. A.J. Cole put two of his three punts inside the 20-yard line, finishing the season strong.

Grade: C

Overall

The Raiders fought hard to the bitter end, but ultimately came up short in a game they wanted to win even after a Titans win formally eliminated them from playoff contention. The effort was strong, but ultimately a loss worked well and moved them up six spots on the NFL draft order.

Grade: C