Raiders need to think next season after loss to Chargers

Three takeaways from the Raiders’ 30-27 overtime loss to the Los Angeles Chargers on Thursday night at Allegiant Stadium:

1. It’s all but over

The chances of making the playoffs already weren’t good for the Raiders no matter the outcome. After this loss, there’s no point in trying to decode what kind of scenarios can get them in.

They have just two games left — against the Miami Dolphins and Denver Broncos — then it will truly be on to the offseason.

But the Raiders need to think big picture now and what can be done to finally make the playoffs.

They must draft better than this year, which was more of a disaster than the back end of this season. They also must make better decisions on free agents.

General manager Mike Mayock can’t have another repeat of this year’s offseason, or the heat will be on him. And coach Jon Gruden has to answer for yet another second half of the season collapse. This is why coaches usually don’t get 10-year contracts.

2. No defense for the defense

Raiders interim defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli made it clear he would make stopping the Chargers’ run game his top job, and he accomplished that. The Raiders had given up more than 200 yards rushing each of the past two games, leading to coordinator Paul Guenther’s firing, and the Chargers ran for only 96.

But it wasn’t close to being enough. The Raiders had few answers for Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert, who put the offense on his back, passing for 314 yards and two touchdowns.

Injuries were a factor, no doubt, but this defense has struggled all season. Nothing over the final two weeks of the regular season will change that.

The Raiders opened the fourth quarter by going for a fourth-and-2 in their territory. They wouldn’t have done that if they believed in their defense. But down seven points, the Raiders knew going down two possessions would be crippling.

And in overtime when the Raiders’ offense was stopped in the red zone and had to kick a field goal, who truly believed their defense would stop the Chargers?

3. Mariota mostly makes a case

The Raiders, especially defensively, have been decimated with injuries, but at least quarterback Derek Carr had been healthy. But when the strained his left groin left in the first quarter, that looked like one injury the Raiders would not be able to overcome.

But Marcus Mariota immediately gave the Raiders a charge when he entered, completing all three passes for 70 yards and rushing for 11 yards on another play. He dropped in a perfect pass to tight end Darren Waller for a 35-yard touchdown to put a punctuation mark on that drive.

Mariota later led a 19-play, 75-yard drive that ate up 10:52 and tied the game at 24 with 6:16 left. He converted two fourth downs on that series.

That good work was undone as Mariota drove the Raiders for the potential game-winning score. He was intercepted when his pass went off Zay Jones’ left hand, but then chased down the defender and saved the touchdown and nearly the game.

Carr isn’t exactly a statue, but he isn’t nearly as mobile as Mariota, which allowed the Raiders to run read option and give an entirely new look.

That attack was effective against the Chargers, but the Dolphins and Broncos now will have video to study if Mariota remains the quarterback. It doesn’t mean Mariota and the Raiders wouldn’t be effective, but the surprise element would be gone.

Contact reporter Mark Anderson at manderson@reviewjournal.com. Follow @markanderson65 on Twitter.