Raiders have 5 weeks to answer major questions after coming up short against tou

sharonorn

HENDERSON, Nev. (AP)  The chances were there and again , but when it comes to taking advantage against the NFL's top teams, the Raiders aren't getting it done.Las Vegas came within a Hail Mary pa s of potentially sending their game against the Dolphins into overtime, but couldn't overcome three turnovers  or capitalize on three takeaways.Then, against the Chiefs, the Raiders jumped out to a 14-0 lead Harry Carson Jersey . Kansas City outscored Las Vegas 31-3 the rest of the way.The lo s to the Chiefs especially stung. The Raiders have extra time to think about the ways they came up short against their AFC West rival now that they're on a bye. They next host Minnesota on Dec. 10.ADVERTISEMENT  You've just got to find a way, cornerback Amik Robertson said. "When youre going against them, you've got to find a way. Especially if you go up like that, you've got to try to stay on their throats. Thats for both sides of the ball.We had a lot of lo ses this year, and just for me, thats just the one  New York Giants Jersey that I wanted the most and, unfortunately, we came up short.The Raiders have made plays in key situations, but more often than not, those occurred against struggling teams.There aren't many of those opponents left on the schedule. Only one of the remaining five teams has a losing record.Maybe in that regard, the break comes at a good time for the Raiders (5-7). Plus, it's an opportunity for players like defensive end Maxx Crosby to have some extra recovery time. He played with a heavily wrapped knee against the Chiefs that week.Twelve straight weeks in the National Football  Riley Dixon Jersey League, thats tough, interim coach Antonio Pierce said. "Thats hard on the body and for our guys. They fought. You saw Maxx Crosby did a hell of a job coming out there, Kolton Miller coming back. For those guys to come back and now to have an extra seven or so days to get ready before our next game before we play the Vikings is huge for our team."Also, I think its an opportunity for us to reset mentally. Its been a lot of trying times this year. A lot of ups and downs, and you sit back, you reset, you think about it, spend some time with your family and coming towards end of the week you start mi sing football again that Friday, Saturday, Sunday youre not playing. Get these guys back in the building on Monday and were ready to roll. The final five games will play a large part in what happens with this franchise going forward.Do the Raiders play well enough that Pierce gets a genuine look at becoming the head coach, or will owner Mark Davis again go outside the organization in search of a big-name hire?From there, whoever's in charge will decide how much of the current roster to keep. The players understand what the final stretch means for their futures.Those include rookie quarterback Aidan O'Connell, who is being given the chance to keep the job even as the Raiders keep an eye on next year's QB-rich draft. Pierce said O'Connell  Kayvon Thibodeaux Jersey is handling the position like a veteran.I do think the game is slowing down (for O'Connell), Pierce said. I dont think its there yet for him. That takes a while for all of us, but I do see a guy thats progre sing as far as his mental capacity and what were able to do.Even though the Raiders are close to being eliminated from the playoff race, O'Connell and his teammates still have a lot on the line.Were competitive, (Pierce is) a competitive coach, he was a competitive player playing, Robertson said. "We know how this league is. You start off hot, everybody loves you. Now we lost two in a row and everybody has their own negative Kenny Golladay Jersey  opinion. We've got to stay with each other and continue building, continue to trust in the guy next to us, and continue to compete and continue playing.___AP NFL: