Oakland Raiders: The Week 1 Aftermath

Sep 13, 2015; Oakland, CA, USA; Oakland Raiders tight end Mychal Rivera (81) is unable to prevent an interception by Cincinnati Bengals free safety Reggie Nelson (20) in the third quarter at O.co Coliseum. The Bengals defeated the Raiders 33-13. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports

The Raiders Must Win The Turnover Battle:

Unfortunately in the NFL, statistics generally show that when a team loses the turnover battle, they lose the game. For the Raiders, this was true, as they gave 2 turnovers to the Bengals while being unable to secure any back. While turning the ball over twice isn’t exactly a death sentence, Oakland was struggling to move the ball all day and could ill afford to give the Bengals and A.J. Green any extra chances.

One thing that definitely comes into play when looking at the circumstances of these give-aways is the fact that quarterback Matt McGloin, who threw a pick and gave up a fumble, was put in a tough situation. Coming in for the injured Derek Carr and trying to lead a large comeback is no easy feat, and it makes sense that you will try to force some throws and take some chances to put up some points.

Ultimately, however, the fact remains that the Raiders put their trust in McGloin when they cut Ponder, and he needs to perform better. This is especially true if Carr misses any time, as he suffered an injury to his throwing hand on Sunday. Now more than ever, the Raiders need McGloin to play well if they want a chance to avoid an 0-2 hole.

Next: Staying on the field is key offensively