Raiders offensive shake-up fails to fix glaring problem in loss to Bills

The Raiders owed themselves a better performance.After the egg they laid against the Patriots last week, they delivered one Sunday, pushing the Bills to the limit before falling 33-30.It was the Raiders third straight loss.The response mattered.So did the resilience.

Against a quarterback such as Josh Allen and an opponent capable of exposing every weakness, the Raiders competed, answered adversity and gave themselves a chance to win.But the difference between making progress and finishing the job remains painfully clear.The Raiders still cannot consistently run the ball.Their passing game too often requires a succession of precise, methodical plays rather than providing the explosive gains that make scoring easier.

And when their margin for error is already that narrow, losing the turnover battle becomes even more difficult to overcome.Kirk Cousins’ third-quarter interception contributed to that problem Sunday.So did a defense that could not produce the stop the Raiders needed on Buffalo’s game-decising possession.Allen’s 26-yard completion to running back James Cook helped set up the game-deciding touchdown, delivering another reminder of how quickly an explosive play can change a game.And how much harder the Raiders must work to generate similar opportunities.As the Raiders ensuing drive proved when they went three and out.That was the difference between an encouraging response and a victory that would have given their progress considerably more weight.There is something to build on here.The Raiders looked far more competitive and composed than they did against New England, and they refused to let that performance define their next one.But effort and resilience cannot keep doing the work of a reliable running game, better ball security and timely defensive stops.Sunday showed the Raiders can push a good team to the limit.Taking the next step requires eliminating the mistakes and limitations that keep leaving them on the wrong side of games they have oppo...