What's Happened to the Raiders Passing Game?

ALAMEDA – Jack Del Rio didn't update the status of Amari Cooper's ailing ankle. It was in bad shape last week, made worse by playing in Sunday's 26-15 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.

Cooper rolled it again on his 15th offensive snap, when he was blocking for a run. Cooper was one of three receivers in a bunch formation left of the offensive line. Cooper and Michael Crabtree got out front of the play, and linebacker Kevin Pierre-Louis landed on Cooper's lower leg while tackling rusher DeAndre Washington. Cooper let out a scream picked up by television cameras, after his ankle got hurt again.

"It was a toss, a crack toss. He was involved in it," Del Rio said in his Monday press conference. "He had an assignment to block. It's football. He was involved in a play."

That play ended Cooper's day, and put him back on the shelf. He was there for nearly two weeks before, after being concussed and suffering an ankle sprain in a violent collision against Denver.

Cooper was expected to miss the Chiefs game, but pressed to practice Friday and play a pivotal AFC West showdown in Kansas City. He got his wish. The Raiders didn't get much in return.

He was targeted once and didn't have a catch before aggravating an injury that may keep him out of future must-win games. Time will tell in that regard.

One certainty: The Raiders need more from their receiver corps. Quarterback and offensive line also contribute in the passing game, but this group struggled to separate and dropped three passes against Kansas City. STATS, Inc. has the Raiders third worst with 24 dropped passes this season.

The Raiders needed Crabtree especially with Cooper out. He had seven catches for 60 yards in 13 targets.

The passing game isn't in great sync, a surprising turn for a group that features a Pro Bowl quarterback and two 1,000-yard receivers from a year ago.

"I don't like to sit up here and grade positions, so I'm not going to today," Del Rio said. "I thought they competed hard and we played a lot of guys. Obviously without both of our guys in Cooper and Crabtree, we didn't have Coop very long. We filled in and battled. We'd like to get more production there."

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