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OAKLAND

(Bay Area News Group sports columnist Mark Purdy analyzes the good and bad from Sunday’s 35-28 Raider loss to Atlanta.)

MARKDOWN–The Raiders did an excellent job of pumping the brakes on those thoughts that they might go undefeated for September en route to a potential division title. Too many missed opportunities and missed tackles at crucial times demonstrated that this Oakland team still has a lot to learn.

MARKUP–The Raiders’ offense is still way exciting. Although there were fits and starts, fans are going to see lots of yards and lots of points this season. And the unit, behind quarterback Derek Carr, didn’t give up after falling behind 35-21 with 2:37 left on the clock, steaming downfield for a touchdown to to pull back within one score.

MARKDOWN–They never got the other score because the Raiders’ defense couldn’t stop the Falcons on 3rd and 3 and force a punt immediately after the two-minute warning. The Falcons were finally forced to punt four downs later. But by then, after the Raiders used up all their timeouts, Atlanta could let the clock run down to 10 seconds before they punted.

MARKUP–Raiders coach Jack Del Rio said last week he does not consider himself to be a gambling man. He continues to make himself a liar. On 4th and goal at the 2-yard line with 12 minutes left in the fourth quarter and the Raiders trailing by a touchdown, Del Rio shunned the field goal attempt and went for the touchdown. Offensive coordinator Bill Musgrave was ready with a perfect play call that left Michael Crabtree and his sure hands standing in open space at the goal line to tie the score at 21-21. It was another good demonstration of the Raiders’ smooth functioning triangle offense that I wrote about in my Sunday morning print column. For the record, I was also aboard with Del Rio’s decision to go for it on 4th and 2 at their own 49 yard line with 7:12 left in the game, trailing by a touchdown. It didn’t work, with running back Jalen Richard being stopped short on the baseball infield dirt. But you’ve got to trust your offensive line to get you those two yards in that situation, no matter the field conditions.

MARKDOWN–Oh, my. That Raiders’ secondary. On the Falcons’ fourth quarter offensive drive immediately following Crabtree’s touchdown, Atlanta quarterback Matt Ryan effortlessly moved his offense 75 yards in six plays for a go-ahead touchdown. Sure, the scoring play was a little lucky, with Justin Hardy grabbing a deflected ball that popped up in the air. But what about the three passes (including a 46-yarder to a wide open Julio Jones) that put the Falcons in the Raiders’ 8-yard line in the first place? The Raiders’ defensive backfield was allegedly better this season, but after giving up 423 yards to Drew Brees in Week One and 389 yards to Ryan on Sunday, we had better underline the word “allegedly.” They’re both good quarterbacks. But shouldn’t the Raiders be able to hold them to only 300 yards?

MARKUP–Cornerback David Amerson’s end zone interception with 9:28 left in the third quarter was as big as any defensive play for the Raiders so far this season. The Falcons were driving for a go-ahead touchdown against a Raiders secondary that was allowing chunk plays right and left, but Amerson lifted off and practically grabbed the ball out of Atlanta tight end Jacob Tamme’s mitts. Instead of taking a 20-14 lead at that point, the Falcons’ offense had to trot off the field.

MARKDOWN– On Julio Jones’ 21-yard touchdown reception in the second quarter, it was either bad communication between Raider cornerback Sean Smith and safety Reggie Nelson or both of them were asleep at the same time. Jones ran a good pattern and Ryan threw a good ball but in the NFL, no receiver should be able to break free and run into the end zone unmolested as he did.

MARKUP–A sun-baked salute to the Raiders’ fans who sat on the east side of the Coliseum and marinated in the 85-degree temperatures Sunday, much as 49ers’ fans do on the east side of Levi’s Stadium. That’s not unusual for September or early October games in Oakland. Bud kudos to the Raiders fans for not griping about it the way 49ers fans do. Think that having a decent team to watch has something to do with it?

MARKDOWN– If you’re going to bobble a kickoff return, you might as well bobble it as spectacularly as Taiwan Jones bobbled the ball on the kickoff after Jones’ touchdown. The ball banged hard off his chest in the end zone and rolled out past the goal line before Jones was fortunate enough to recover it at his own 2-yard line. Fortunately, Carr and the offense bailed him out with a slickly-designed pass play to bowling-ball rookie (5-foot-8, 204 pounds) running back DeAndre Washington that went for 26 yards and gave the Raiders breathing room.

MARKUP– Raiders coach Jack Del Rio made a smart call for a replay review on a ball spot in the third quarter–and won the challenge–which turned a 4th and inches for the Raiders into a 1st and 10 at their own 31 yard line. The Raiders eventually punted but the successful challenge deserves mention because it showed the coordination between the Raiders’ upstairs eyeballs and Del Rio was working in proper fashion.

MARKDOWN — Clive Walford flat-out dropped a pass with six seconds left in the first half at the Falcons’ 40-yard line that he might have carried another five or 10 yards to set up a make-able Sebastian Janikowski field goal attempt. Instead, after another short pass, Janikowski was forced to try a 58-yarder that fell short. Of course, Janikowski did have to attempt the kick off the aforementioned baseball infield. And it’s a well-known scientific fact that Seabasses do not thrive in dirt.

MARKUP–It’s odd to endorse a horse-collar tackle because it’s illegal and dangerous. But when the Raiders’ punter Marquette King brought down used that technique to bring down Atlanta returner Eric Weems at the end of a 73-yard runback to the Oakland 18-yard line, King was the last man between Weems and the end zone. The Raiders took the penalty that gave the Falcons a first down at the Oakland 9-yard line. But the Raiders defense held the Falcons to a field goal. So the illegal tackle saved the Raiders three points. Not saying. Just saying.

MARKDOWN–The Raiders’ defensive technique on non-horse-collar tackles was iffy and disappointing. On the 13-yard Atlanta touchdown run by Tevin Coleman with 4:35 remaining, he plowed through the arms of several Raiders.

MARKUP — It was great to see John Madden on the field for the halftime salute to Ken Stabler’s Hall of Fame induction. The 80-year-old Madden has kept a low profile since his open heart surgery last December. But he wasn’t going to miss this ceremony. Madden looked a little pale and he remained seated except for standing up and waving when introduced. His voice also cracked up a bit from emotion when speaking of the Snake. Other former Raiders such as Jim Otto, Ted Hendricks and Ray Guy were among those who participated in the well-done ceremony, which ended with Madden unveiling Stabler’s bust from Canton with Stabler’s family alongside.

MARKDOWN–On the 50th anniversary of the first Raiders game played at the Coliseum, I was truly hoping for a Cotton Davidson sighting. He was Oakland’s starting quarterback for that game on Sept. 18, 1966, a loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. Would have been cool to have him out there for the pregame coin toss. I guess you can’t have everything. Davidson is 84 years old and at last report was living on his ranch in Texas. Maybe he was watching the game on television. (At least he never had to deal with the infield dirt. The A’s didn’t move to Oakland until 1968.)