In the Raiders’ 19-16 victory over the Chargers this past weekend, kicker Sebastian Janikowski was clutch, kicking four field goals.
The fact Janikowski was 4-for-4 on field-goal attempts was a positive, and one of the reasons Oakland was able to come away with a victory that clinched a spot in the playoffs.
Yet two of those field goals – a 33-yarder and one from 21 yards – are an indication that the Raiders’ offense isn’t humming along as smoothly as it was earlier this season. Both field goals came because the offense stalled in the red zone (20 yards and in).
In fact, the Raiders scored just one touchdown in seven red-zone opportunities against the Chargers, an abysmal peformance.
As Jimmy Durkin of the Bay Area News Group pointed out this week, the Raiders at the start of this season had been one of the NFL’s best teams in the red zone. He noted that two weeks ago, Oakland ranked seventh in the league in red-zone efficiency, having scored touchdowns on 64.3 percent of their red-zone opportunities.
Over their past 11 chances, the Raiders have scored just two TDs.
At the start of the year, the Raiders were terrific. In the Game 1 win over the Saints, their red-zone rate was 75 percent. In a Week 4 win over the Ravens, the Raiders were 4-for-4. In an October win over the Bucs, they scored TDs on two of three chances.
Raiders
This week, as the Raiders prepare to face the Indianapolis Colts at O.co Coliseum Saturday, offensive coordinator Bill Musgrave told reporters that “a number of factors” have contributed to the inefficiency of late.
“We’re ready to get back on track, that’s for sure,” Musgrave said. “We want to come away with touchdowns when we get down there. It’s tough enough to get down there. We want to finish the right way. So, we’re working hard on that, count on being better moving forward.”
Recent mistakes in the red zone – an interception, a fumble, a bad snap – have contributed, said Musgrave, and he and the offense are working to fix those mistakes.
Center Rodney Harrison told Durkin “you’re only as good as your last game” and the Raiders will get their efficiency back.
“We’ll watch the tape and correct it,” Hudson said.
One factor in the Raiders’ favor Saturday will be the Colts’ defense, which hasn’t played well inside its own 20 this season. The Colts have allowed opponents to score TDs in 46.7 percent of their opportunities this season, the fourth-worst mark in the league.
Kickoff for Saturday’s game between the 11-3 Raiders and 7-7 Colts is set for 1:05 p.m. at O.co Coliseum.
