Oakland Raiders loss a portent of things to come

October 13, 3:01 AMOakland Raiders ExaminerPatrick Patterson

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The Raiders are in real distress

Maybe the Raiders spent too much time on Bourbon street Saturday night. That would be a best-case scenario to explain their complete meltdown against the New Orleans Saints on Sunday. As far as overall ineptitude this game surpasses the dismal opener against Denver to become the worst played game by a Raider team since 2006. If this game is any indication there is not much hope for the Raiders to match their win total of four from 2007. 

The Raider team played with what appeared to be no passion or heart. The vaunted Raider defensive backfield was torched for 320 yards by Drew Brees. The Saints added another 120 on the ground, and had their way with the Raiders' porous defense.

The Raiders offense couldn't generate more than one field goal, and that came on their opening drive following a 35-yard punt return by Johnnie Lee Higgins. After that drive, the Raiders would never again return to the red zone.

If it was simply a matter of the Raiders losing to a better team, that would be one thing.  But it looked like the Raiders had absolutely no fight in this game. It would be premature to heap the blame on the new coach Tom Cable, but it would seem like the drama of the past month, followed by Al Davis's temper tantrum press conference, and the installation of the new coach has just completely drained the team.  TFDSsports had predicted prior to the Kansas City game:

Kiffin’s removal and replacement would turn 2008 into a lost season two weeks into the year.

It happened four weeks into the year, but if Sunday's game was any indication 2008 is a lost season. The Raiders looked like a defeated team before they even gave up any points. The Saints easily marched down the field on their second possession only to miss a field goal. The Raiders offense went three and out, and the Saints scored on their next possession and kept scoring until the game was out of hand. The Raiders defense did not put up any meaningful resistance.

With Raider-Killer Brett Favre leading the Jets into Oakland next week, it won't get any easier for the Silver and Black. It appears that the Raiders are on their way to yet another double-digit loss season and another top 10 draft pick.