A scoreless second half did the Oakland Raiders in Sunday afternoon at the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum.
Headed into halftime, the Silver and Black were tied with the Tennessee Titans 21-21, but the team's offense stalled following the intermission, ultimately putting up zero points in the second half.
Following the 42-21 loss, the Raiders are now 6-7, and hanging on to their postseason aspirations by the thinnest of margins.
Up next for Head Coach Jon Gruden's team is a Week 15 matchup against Gardner Minshew and the Jacksonville Jaguars, in a game the Raiders absolutely has to have.
Here are five observations from the team's matchup against the Titans.
1. Josh Jacobs was a spectator
Dealing with a shoulder injury, Josh Jacobs was one of the team's seven inactive players against the Titans, but without the dynamic rookie in the mix, Jalen Richard and DeAndré Washington stepped up and more than filled the void left by No. 28.
Washington got first crack at carrying the rock for the Silver and Black, and he sure made the most of them, scampering 14 yards to give the Raiders their first points of the afternoon.
All told, the Silver and Black ran for 97 yards in the Week 14 loss.
Much like the Raiders, the Titans are at their best when they're running the ball at a good clip, owning the line of scrimmage, and while Derrick Henry did run rampant for stretches of Sunday's game, give Richard and Washington credit for stepping up when their respective numbers were called.
Are the Raiders a better team when Josh Jacobs is on the first. Unquestionably, but Richard and Washington deserve a ton of credit for what they did against the Titans Sunday afternoon.
2. Even without Trent Brown, the o-line held up
Josh Jacobs wasn't the only key cog the Raiders' offense was without against the Titans.
Still dealing with a nagging pectoral injury, starting right tackle Trent Brown was officially ruled out Friday afternoon, and in his stead, Brandon Parker got the nod.
With 12 starts under his belt, Parker was more than qualified to step in for Brown, and appreciation where it's due, as the second-year man and the entire offensive line really did a nice job against Tennessee.
Not only did they keep Carr upright for the entire game, save two plays, the big boys up front also paved the way for D. Wash and Jalen Richard to do their thing.
All throughout 2019, the offensive line has been the strength of the Silver and Black, and that was once again the case Sunday, even with the change in personnel.
3. Derrick Henry was problematic
With over 1,100 yards entering Sunday's matchup at the OACC, the Silver and Black knew that Derrick Henry was going to be a problem, and that's precisely what he was Week 14.
At the half, the University of Alabama product had run for 55 yards and a touchdown, and with another score following the intermission, Henry remained a problem for Paul Guenther's defense from whistle to whistle.
In total, Henry ran for 103 yards and was the perfect complement to Ryan Tannehill and the Tennessee aerial attack.
4. The Raiders took advantage of the gifts from the Titans
Without the full complement of their weapons offensively, making the most of their chances – on both offense and defense – was going to be imperative in helping the Raiders secure their seventh win of 2019.
Well, the Silver and Black are still sitting at six wins, but they were able to turn their lone turnover of the day into some points.
On the first very first series of the day, Dion Jordan tipped a Ryan Tannehill pass that big Mo Hurst was able to haul in, then lumber 55 yards towards the end zone until Tannehill himself tackled No. 73.
Not only was the pick the first of Hurst's career, but it also later resulted in the first points of the day for the Raiders' offense, courtesy of DeAndré Washington.
5. Tannehill was ultra efficient
Give credit to Tannehill, the man has truly been reborn in Music City.
After taking over the starting job from Marcus Mariota Week 7, the former Miami Dolphin has been playing some of the best football of his career, and that trend didn't stop Sunday at the OACC.
At the half, Tannehill had completed 13 of his 15 attempts good for 263 yards, two touchdowns, and the aforementioned interception to Hurst.
By game's end that number had ballooned to 391 yards, with a trio of touchdowns to boot.
While Tannehill no doubt played one of his best games of the year, his wide receivers also did their job too, A.J. Brown in particular.
Brown, whose 2019 has been categorized by inconsistency, was certainly far from that against the Raiders, hauling in five catches for 153 yards, including a 91-yard touchdown from Tannehill – his first of two on the afternoon.
