Last season, the Raiders remained in playoff contention until the final day of the regular-season and would have won the AFC West if they hadn't lost to San Diego in their finale.
Those were the good old days for Oakland.
The Raiders were eliminated from playoff contention Sunday with a 20-17 loss to Cleveland at the O.co Coliseum in Week 13. They lost their fifth straight game -- the longest losing streak since a six-game skid in 2007 under Lane Kiffin -- with four games left to play. They fell to a Browns team that had lost 12 straight road games until Sunday.
The Raiders can't waste time feeling sorry for themselves. Denver, which is 9-3 and clinched the AFC West crown with a 32-23 win Sunday over Tampa Bay, is coming to Oakland for a Thursday night game. The Broncos beat Oakland 37-6 in Week 4.
Offense: C-
The Raiders' offense got off to another slow start, scoring just three points in the first half a week after going scoreless in the opening half at Cincinnati. They rolled up 429 total yards on offense but scored just 17 points against a Browns defense that ranked No. 22 in the NFL, and seven of those points came with one second left to play. Although QB Carson Palmer passed for 351 yards, he threw another killer interception, this one coming deep in Browns territory with under 10 minutes to play and the Raiders driving for what could have been the tying or go-ahead score. Tight end Brandon Myers had a huge day, tying Tim Brown's single-game franchise record of 14 catches. Starting WR Denarius Moore got benched late in the game for poor play, but rookie wide-out Rod Streater caught a 64-yard touchdown pass from Palmer. Previous game’s grade: F
Defense: C-
After allowing an average of 42.3 points in the previous four losses, Oakland's defense gave up just 20 points Sunday. OK, that was against the Browns, who haven't scored more than 20 points since Oct. 14, but that still qualifies as progress for the Raiders. The Raiders intercepted Cleveland's rookie quarterback Brandon Weeden twice, but he also passed for a career-high 364 yards, and the Browns gained 475 total net yards, 170 more than they were averaging before Sunday. The Raiders' defense saved its worst moments for late in the game. With the Raiders trailing just 13-10 midway through the fourth quarter, Cleveland marched 94 yards on 14 plays for a game-clinching touchdown. Starting right cornerback Ron Bartell got benched for Phillip Adams after giving up a 44-yard touchdown pass to Browns rookie Josh Gordon in the second quarter. Adams had an interception but left the game with a concussion, as did starting free safety Matt Giordano and his backup, Mike Mitchell. Previous game’s grade: F+
Special teams: C
Defensive tackle Desmond Bryant blocked a 28-yard field goal attempt by Phil Dawson late in the third quarter, and the Raiders quickly scored on Palmer's 64-yard TD pass to Streater, cutting the Browns' lead to 13-10. The coverage teams held the dangerous Joshua Cribbs to 16 total yards on two punt returns and 18 yards on his lone kickoff return. Sebastian Janikowski drilled a 51-yard field goal, but he missed from 61. Punter Shane Lechler averaged just 40.4 yards with a net average of 33.2 on five punts but did pin the Browns inside the 20 twice. Previous game’s grade: C+
Coaching: C-
Dennis Allen coached Sunday's game with a heavy heart, knowing that his father, former Falcons linebacker Grady Allen, was seriously ill and in the intensive care unit of a Dallas area hospital. Dennis Allen, who traveled after the game to Dallas, benched two starters at points during the game -- cornerback Ron Bartell in the first half and wide receiver Denarius Moore late in the second -- for poor play. Even though the Raiders are out of playoff contention, he let his players know there will still be a price to pay for mistakes. Allen and his offensive staff made a poor decision late in the game when they trailed by 10 and needed a touchdown and field goal to force overtime. They reached the Browns' 24 and spiked the ball with 1:00 left. But instead of kicking a field goal and then onside kicking, they ran five more plays and scored a meaningless touchdown on Palmer's 17-yard pass to Myers -- but with only one second left. Previous game’s grade: F
Follow Raiders reporter Eric Gilmore on Twitter @CBSRaiders.