Raiders coach Hue Jackson is taking responsibility for his team's loss in Buffalo on Sunday, a game in which Oakland once led, 21-3, and gave up the winning touchdown on a fourth-and-1 play in the final minute on a blown coverage.
On fourth-and-1 from the 6, Bills wide receiver David Nelson broke open over the middle of the field for the easy touchdown. Raiders cornerback Chris Johnson, who lined up on Nelson, broke immediately to the flat after the snap to cover running back C.J. Spiller. Middle linebacker Rolando McClain also covered Spiller, leaving no one on Nelson.
After Sunday's game, Raiders defensive lineman Tommy Kelly criticized his teammates for losing Nelson in coverage.
"Come on, man," Kelly said. "Do your job. That's what the man pays you for, to do your job. If you got that guy, follow him to the bathroom."
Johnson also criticized unnamed teammates.
"You've got to be on the same page," Johnson said. "It was blown coverage."
Jackson wasn't having any of that, telling the Contra Costa Times: "Coach Jackson left the guy wide open," Jackson said Monday. "That’s it. Guys, look. Like I told you before, we’re going to win as a team, lose as a team. I’m not putting that on no player. I’m the head coach of this football team, and we lost. End of story, OK? I’m not pinning anything on one player because it starts with me. I left the guy wide open, in the end zone, and we lost. Fourth down, end of discussion. They won the game, that’s it. We move on from there."
Through two games, Oakland leads the league with 23 penalties, but Jackson was looking on the bright side.
“The penalties (aren’t) what lost the game,” Jackson said. “... we will get better at it. There wasn’t 15, there was eight. So we’re seven better than the pace was the week before. And hopefully we can go from eight down to two, and then we’ll be doing something.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.