Terrible Play Call Dooms Raiders Season in Loss to Bengals

Despite trailing most of the game, and by double digits for large parts of the second half, the Raiders had a chance in the final seconds to tie and force overtime. In the end, the game came down to 4th and goal with less than 20 seconds to go, the Raiders trailing 26-19. Touchdown means overtime, no touchdown means end of season for Las Vegas.

The Raiders have two key options for the red zone: tight end Darren Waller and slot receiver Mike Renfro. The Raiders come out in a tight formation, with Waller and receiver Zay Jones tight to the offensive’s right, and Renfro and receiver Mike Edwards tight the left. The Raiders by formation appeared to have a sound strategy. Waller and Edwards were both slightly off the ball and slightly in the backfield. This would allow Edwards and Jones to clear out space for Renfro and Waller to work.

The result, at the snap, was dumbfounding. Renfro’s route amounted to essentially a 2 yard quick out. This is essentially a wasted route, nothing more than a check down. Renfro is known for his ability to use quickness and agility to create separation, not for run after catch. Even if he was, completing a 2 yard out and asking any player to make multiple players miss for the last 9 yards is a tall task.

Waller’s route was just as a dumbfounding. At the snap, Waller chips the defensive end, before he also breaks a 2 yard out. At the last second, Waller turns up field, but at that point the ball is gone.

Instead of designing quality options for Waller and Renfro, the Raiders called for a short curl route to Zay Jones. The Bengals played an off zone coverage, with veteran cornerback Eli Apple sitting at the goal line, ready to react to Jones. Once the ball is thrown, Apple broke on Jones, who had has back to the goal line. Apple would be in the perfect position to either break up the pass or tackle Jones short of the goal line.

He wouldn’t have to do either. Linebacker Germain Pratt, who was completely unthreatened by any receiver, read the route and jumped in front of Derek Carr’s pass and intercepted it. The Raiders fulfilled the promise of the play, they failed to score and continue their season.

I have to admit, I have never seen a play call that completely ignored a team’s top two red zone weapons in a 4th down, have to have it, end of game situation. I’ve seen plays where teams use their top players as decoys, where they clear out space by running their top player through an area and then run an alternate option behind them. But never have I seen a team call a play completely negating its best two options. In a Raiders season full of surprises, their season ended with another one.