The Raiders failed to get in the end zone for the second-straight game en route to a 17-6 loss on the road to the Carolina Panthers.
Starting quarterback Carson Palmer left the game late in the first quarter after Panthers defensive end Greg Hardy hit him hard, making the game even tougher for a struggling Raiders offense. Palmer remained out for the rest of the game with a rib injury, finishing 3/3 for 31 yards.
Head coach Dennis Allen turned to Matt Leinart with Palmer out instead of inserting Terrelle Pryor, who has become an obsession for much of Raider Nation. Leinart struggled to find any rhythm as he finished 16/32 for 115 yards and one interception.
Pryor did enter the game on three separate occasions, one of which he threw his first NFL completion.
Offensive coordinator Greg Knapp was unable to get Darren McFadden and the running game going as the Panthers kept McFadden to just 33 yards on 17 carries, a measly 1.9 yards per carry.
Oakland had a chance to get into the end zone in the fourth quarter and potentially tie the game but Leinart’s screen pass to McFadden on fourth down was batted down by Hardy, the same man that knocked Palmer out of the game.
Oakland’s inept offense only totaled 189 total yards and 12 first downs for the whole game.
Meanwhile, Cam Newton and the Panthers were able to do just enough to earn their sixth victory of the season. Newton finished 18/29 for 170 yards, one touchdown and one interception. The former Heisman winner also rushed the ball 12 times for 60 yards and one touchdown.
One bright spot for the Raiders was rookie linebacker Miles Burris who recorded his first NFL interception, snapping Newton’s streak of 176 pass attempts without a pick. Burris also had seven tackles and half a sack for the afternoon.
The Raiders head into San Diego next week to finish off the season against the San Diego Chargers. With both teams already out of playoff contention, it wouldn’t be surprising if Allen and the coaching staff turn to some of their young players for the game in order to evaluated for the offseason.
