National Football League

Buy or Sell: Oakland Raiders vs. Atlanta Falcons

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 12:00 p.m. ET

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Nov 1, 2015; Oakland, CA, USA; Oakland Raiders defensive coordinator Ken Norton Jr. encourages the defense before the start of the game against the New York Jets at O.co Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports

Buy and Sell is a new weekly series that will examine questions or statements about the Oakland Raiders based on their most recent game.

After a lackluster Week 2 showing from the defense, the Raiders were unable to recapture the comeback mojo for a second consecutive game, falling to the Atlanta Falcons 35-28.

The heartbreaking loss had led to a lot of questions and general statements to be made about the team. Some of them reek of panic, and a few of them have some validity.

Let’s examine some of the thoughts and questions that have been discussed by Raider Nation in the days following the loss.

A statement or a question will be made or asked, and the answer will be given in a Buy/Sell format.

We’ll start with the most controversial decision of the game:

Jack Del Rio going for it on 4th & 2 was the wrong decision.

Sell.

This is a classic “hindsight is 20/20” reaction. JDR is out to prove he’s a gambler, and he’s been money thus far in the season, but no coach has a 100 percent success rate with such bold decisions.

It was quite the turn of events, and unfortunately, those events didn’t turn in favor of the Raiders. Just the play before, Amari Cooper scored a touchdown that was called back due to Illegal Contact. The Raiders failed to convert on fourth down, and the Falcons marched down the field to go up 35-21.

But at the time of the decision to go for it, Oakland had the ball on their own 49-yard line. Too far for a field goal (67 yards) and how could Del Rio possibly trust his defense to make a stop? If the Raiders punted the ball, chances are Atlanta would have marched down the field, ate up the majority of the seven minutes left in the game, and put the game out of reach from both a score and a time remaining standpoint.

So no, the decision to go for it was not wrong.

Now, the play call or the personnel that was used — that was the mishap. If you are committed to running the ball, use a back like Latavius Murray or Jamize Olawale, who are more likely to fall forward for a short gain. Or draw up a pass play. That’s where the Raiders went wrong.

September 18, 2016; Oakland, CA, USA; Oakland Raiders head coach Jack Del Rio (right) talks to NFL head linesman Mark Hittner (28) during the third quarter against the Atlanta Falcons at Oakland Coliseum. The Falcons defeated the Raiders 35-28. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

Jack Del Rio needs to take control of the defense.

Buy.

This is something JDR already did late in the 4th quarter against Atlanta, but it should happen indefinitely, if not permanently.

Ken Norton Jr. had a rough rookie season as defensive coordinator. Which, to be fair, it was his first year and the defense wasn’t that talented, so it was understandable. But in his second season, with a much more talented group, it’s hard to give him a break for the defensive performances in the first two weeks.

Disclaimer: The following defensive statistics are NSFW:

I apologize for putting you through that.

So what can be done to fix this mess?

For one, using primarily 3-4 looks has not been the answer. The defensive line is failing to generate pressure, and KNJ doesn’t have much to offer when it comes to drawing up creative blitzes. And as for the “revamped” secondary, they look as bad as ever.

But if the quarterback has all day to throw, the secondary is going to get picked apart. That’s just football. Get after the quarterback, and chances are your defense won’t get carved up like a turkey on Thanksgiving.

At the very least, JDR taking over the defense will be a change. Anything is better than just trying the same thing over and over and expecting different results — also known as the definition of insanity.

Sep 18, 2016; Oakland, CA, USA; Atlanta Falcons running back Tevin Coleman (26) runs for a touchdown against the Oakland Raiders in the fourth quarter at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum. The Falcons defeated the Raiders 35-28. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports

After a historically bad defensive start, are the Raiders playoff hopes over?

Sell.

Yes, the defense is awful. But no, that doesn’t mean the Raiders playoff hopes are over.

The truth is, as bad as the defense is, no problem in football is completely unfixable. The defense has too many talented players to keep up this historically bad pace.

With a few adjustments, and if the team can stay in the hunt by the time Mario Edwards Jr. and Aldon Smith return, than their chances of earning a playoff birth for the first time since 2002 should still be pretty good.

Honestly, the defense only needs to be adequate for this team to make it to the postseason. Just don’t be a disaster, and the offense looks dynamic enough to carry this team to wins.

Obviously that isn’t something you want to rely on — having a great defense would be fantastic, but the Oakland offense looks capable of putting up close to 30 points per game.

Plus, aside from a long travel schedule (not to take that lightly), the schedule isn’t that bad. Four of the next five opponents are the Titans, Ravens, Chargers and Jaguars — none of whom look formidable.

September 18, 2016; Oakland, CA, USA; Oakland Raiders running back Jalen Richard (30) runs with the football past Atlanta Falcons linebacker Sean Weatherspoon (56) during the third quarter at Oakland Coliseum. The Falcons defeated the Raiders 35-28. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

Running back by committee is here to stay, and that’s a good thing.

Buy.

It seemed expected with the new additions to the backfield, but the days of Latavius Murray being the workhorse appear to be over.

Against Atlanta, Murray logged eight carries, DeAndre Washington had seven, and Jalen Richard was given six. The trio’s 21 carries went for a combined 120 yards — good for a 5.7 yards-per-carry average.

That split of the workload is a big change from 2015, when Oakland’s second leading rusher totaled 72 yards on the season — a mark Richard topped in just one carry.

This new RBBC definitely seems like a good thing, and it’s too bad the Raiders were trailing as opposed to leading for most of the first two weeks, otherwise the backs could gotten more work.

For Murray, he looks as good as he ever has — perhaps because the lighter workload is keeping him fresh, and maybe also because the increased competition is pushing his performance to new heights.

Aug 12, 2016; Glendale, AZ, USA; Oakland Raiders cornerback Sean Smith (21) reacts in the first half against the Arizona Cardinals during a preseason game at University of Phoenix Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Is it time to panic about Sean Smith?

Sell.

For the second week in a row, Sean Smith has been torched. But for the second week in a row, Smith also faced a high-end wide receiver — this time, arguably the best in the league.

It’s easy to create excuses for Smith — Cooks was a bad matchup as a smaller, speedy receiver, and Julio will embarrass just about any cornerback in the league — but those are more truths than excuses.

So while it has been a rough start to Smith’s career in Silver and Black, that doesn’t mean it’s time to push the panic button. No, he shouldn’t be cut, and no, he shouldn’t be benched. D.J. Hayden is the No. 3 cornerback on the team — you really want his playing time to increase?

Maybe David Amerson should get a crack at the top wideouts, but with rookie Tajae Sharpe (who has impressed so far) as the top pass-catcher on the Titans, let’s see how Smith fares in Week 3.

If Smith gets torched once again, then I’ll grab a pitchfork and join the mob.