ALAMEDA _ In the final analysis Monday, Raiders coach Jack Del Rio is OK with the play call that had much of the fan base buzzing on social media and talk radio.



It sounded at his weekly press conference that if the same set of circumstances which presented themselves in Sunday’s 22-20 road loss to the Chicago Bears, Del Rio would be fine with again running Roy Helu Jr. on third-and-2 while in field goal range.

Only this time, with a successful conclusion, and with someone getting a body on Baltimore outside linebacker Pernell McPhee.

“You can always second-guess the call, whether it it’s run or pass,” Del Rio said. “It was definitely there, if we executed the play. But you have to give (McPhee) credit. He’s a game-wrecker kind of guy. He ended up spoiling that play.”

McPhee knifed inside rookie tight end Clive Walford to dump Helu for a 1-yard loss at the 23-yard line, forcing the Raiders to settle for a 41-yard field by Sebastian Janikowski with 2:05 to play and give the Raiders a 20-19 lead.

That left enough time on the clock for Jay Cutler to march the Bears 48 yards in 12 plays, setting up Robbie Gould’s 49-yard field goal to win the game 22-20.

The replay seemed to show guard Gabe Jackson and Rodney Hudson getting enough push that Helu, who had runs 3, 4 and 4 yards on consecutive carries, could have broken free and gotten the Raiders inside the 10-yard line or maybe even scored a touchdown.

McPhee, however, told reporters, “I knew the exact play they were going to run.”

Helu, on the Raiders’ flagship station 95.7 The Game, said, “once the play started, someone came, grabbed my leg and I was trying to get through the hole that was open, and regrettably we didn’t get the first down. That’s something I could have improved on. I could have gotten there quicker, just looking at the film.”

Janikowski’s field goal capped a 68-yard drive that started at the 9-yard line following a Charles Woodson interception and a penalty on the Raiders for a sideline celebration.

In a perfect world, the Raiders either score a touchdown or kick a field goal with little or no time remaining, removing Chicago chance at a two-minute drill.

“One or the other would have been nice,” Del Rio said.

Since a quick Raiders touchdown would have left the Bears with a chance to score a touchdown of their own to win the game, working the clock and having Janikowski kick on the last play of the game may have been the best option.

Del Rio said the philosophy of whether to score the touchdown or kick a field goal depends on different factors, and pointed to the third-and-2 play and another on the ensuing sequence that decided the game.

With Chicago facing a fourth-and-5 on its own 25-yard line, Cutler threw a 7-yard strike to tight end Martellus Bennett despite tight coverage by linebacker Ray-Ray Armstrong.

“That was another potential game-ending situation,” Del Rio said. “We had our opportunities there. We feel like we prepared well. We didn’t execute the way we wanted and came up a little bit short.”

— Del Rio had no word on the status of safety TJ Carrie, who went out with what was announced as a “chest” injury after a 22-yard punt return and was seen after the game with his arm in a sling.

With Taiwan Jones inactive because of a foot injury, Amari Cooper returned punts and Marcel Reece was deep on kickoff returns.

— Latavius Murray did not play after his second turnover, but Del Rio did not characterize the insertion of Helu as a “benching” and expects Murray to bounce back.

“None of us are perfect,” Del Rio said. “We’re all capable of making mistakes. I think the sooner you own up to mistakes, the quicker you can put them behind you and move forward.”

— Bennett had 11 receptions for 84 yards for the Bears and scored on a 5-yard touchdown pass against a blown coverage as the Raiders continued to struggle against tight ends.

“It hasn’t been one position or error,” Del Rio said. “It’s been kind of shared . . . there were times it was a whole lot better. He had an occasion where he popped free like that. Clearly that’s a mistake on our part.