ALAMEDA – The Raiders had three victories all last season. That was with Dennis Allen, Tony Sparano and a buried football. This is Jack Del Rio’s group now, and he could’ve matched that win total Sunday in Chicago, after just four weeks.
The opportunity passed him by, as the Silver and Black fell to 2-2 with a last-second 22-20 loss to the Bears at Solider Field. You’d be hard pressed to find someone expecting the Raiders to start 3-1 this summer, yet missing that mark is something of a disappointment.
They snuck past the Baltimore Ravens with a Derek Carr fourth-quarter comeback drive and Charles Woodson secured victory late in Cleveland. The Raiders had a chance to snatch another game at the end, but came out on the wrong end of a contest that stands as an opportunity missed.
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[BAIR: Del Rio: Raiders had 'two clear opportunities' to secure Bears win]
“We lost a game where we had opportunities to win. We can’t make that a habit,” left tackle Donald Penn said. “We have to capitalize … We had this one slip through our fingers, but I’m glad it’s early and we can learn from this experience. We can get better. I’m going to sulk on this for a night, but we have to move of quick.”
That’s because the Raiders have a tough road ahead, starting with the Denver Broncos in Week 5. The there’s a bye, followed by a string of decent teams off to strong starts. The Raiders don’t play a team currently under .500 again until Week 11 against Detroit.
The last three games were played against teams with a combined 3-9 record. Teams competitive at season's end feast on the weak, play well at home and sneak out an upset or two along the way. That’s why, with a chance to go 3-1, the Raiders had to get it.
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They fell short, allowing a game-winning drive with time winding down. It was a heartbreaker, with plenty of regrettable moments survived while staying in the game. As Penn says, those close losses “hurt the most.”
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The Raiders locker room was quiet after a disappointing finish, but the players were far from despondent. It wasn’t like recent seasons, when a close one stung like a jellyfish because wins were so rare. The Raiders are confident they’ll compete throughout the season. They were professional in defeat ready to turn the page posthaste, without letting this disappointment linger.
The Raiders did so after the Cincinnati blowout in Week 1 and got a positive result because they moved on fast.
“You can’t think about what could’ve happened. The game’s over,” said receiver Michael Crabtree, who played through an ankle injury and had five catches for 80 yards. “We were thinking about 3-1 heading into the game, but we’re 2-2. That’s it. It’s early. We have 16 games, man. I don’t know what all the fuss is about.
“It was a hard fought game. We’re good, and we were out there toughing it out. We were out there playing hard. We just didn’t come up with the win. We have a tough divisional opponent coming up. You can’t trip off of one game.”
[REWIND: Analysis: Raiders must respond to adversity, 'can’t cry right now']
Crabtree doesn’t understand what fuss is about at 2-2. Then again, he’s used to winning with the 49ers. This is a new era in the East Bay, though fans are still concerned about returning to old traps. They have seen positive talk followed up with lackluster results in the past.
The Raiders have gained some early respect, though quality performance against better competition in coming weeks would increase that sentiment. The season has reached the quarter pole. We’ve learned that these Raiders fight hard each game. Sometimes, that won’t be enough to match talent. Don’t forget, this isn’t a one-year rebuild. On Sunday, the Raiders matched up well with Chicago and let an opportunity slip. They don’t plan on making a habit of that.
“We’re trying to get better, trying to change the culture around here,” Penn said. “We’re tired of hearing about the same old Raiders. We’re trying to change all that, and we’re doing that with work and commitment each week. We’re trying to show that we’re a better team today than we’ve been in the (recent) past.
“You have to learn how to respond. You get down, and you have to answer back. We’ve been doing that. That’s something positive we will build on.”