5 Takeaways From Oakland Raiders’ Week 7 Loss

Some teams are built to withstand an early deficit. They find ways to chip away and get themselves back into a game. One thing we've learned about the 2014 Oakland Raiders is that they are not one of those teams. Falling a touchdown or two behind early on spells doom for this team – just as it was against the Cardinals. It takes them away from what makes them successful and puts them in positions they don't want to be in.

The Raiders entered this week's game allowing their opponents to convert 51 percent of their third-down opportunities (36/70). They didn't fare any better against Arizona, who converted 60 percent of their chances (9/15). Their futility on third down leaves their defense on the field far too long – nearly 40 minutes against the Cardinals – and wears them out, leaving them vulnerable late in games, as we've seen all too often.

The flip side of that, is that the offense must learn to do a better job of converting their own third-down opportunities. Coming into the game, the Raiders were converting on just 39 percent of their third-down conversions. Against the Cardinals, the Raiders hit on four of 12 chances (33 percent). The offense must find a way to extend drives and give the defense a breather. Against the Cardinals, they couldn't manage to find a way.

The Raiders have attempted the fewest rushes in the NFL. In part, it's because they find themselves in such big holes early, forcing them to abandon the run, rather than dictating the tempo of the game with an effective rush. Against the Cards, they found themselves in a big hole and attempted just 19 total rushes to the Cardinals' 37. The Raiders must be able to run the ball to have any chance of success.

Down 14-13 to Arizona, the Raiders were unable to move the ball down the field to even get themselves in position to attempt a go-ahead field goal. Instead, they had to punt and generated almost zero offense the rest of the way. They had their chances against the Chargers and they had their chances against the Cardinals. In both scenarios, the Raiders folded, unable to muster the offensive spark needed to turn the game, and their season around.