Raiders WR Darrius Heyward-Bey had a rough outing against the Bengals. He was shut out.  (US Presswire)

The Raiders' nosedive continued Sunday when they fell to 3-8 with a 34-10 loss at Cincinnati, their fourth straight defeat. They hadn't lost four straight since 2008, after Tom Cable took over for the fired Lane Kiffin.

With just five games left, the Raiders are assured of their 10th straight season without a winning record. In their latest loss, the Raiders failed to score in the first half for the first time this season and lost for the fourth straight times this season and ninth straight overall in games played in the Eastern Time Zone. The good news? They play their next three games at home.

Offense: F

QB Carson Palmer had a nightmare in his first game against his former team. It was bad enough that he was booed from start to finish and reportedly was doused with beer by Bengals fans after the game. But Palmer also put up his worst numbers of the season, completing 19 of 34 passes for a season-low 146 yards and a passer rating of 64.1, another season low. He was sacked a season-high four times. Palmer and the Raiders' offense were particularly bad in the first half, gaining just 83 yards when the Bengals built a 24-0 lead. Starting wide receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey was shut out for the game and had one pass clank off his hands. Fellow starting WR Denarius Moore had one catch, albeit a 20-yard TD. Marcel Reece, starting his third straight game at running back in place of the injured Darren McFadden, had another decent game with 74 rushing yards on 15 carries and four catches for 29 yards. Previous game’s grade: C-

Defense: F+

The Raiders played like mannequins in the first half when Cincinnati rolled up 289 total yards and 24 points on offense. They gave up five plays of at least 20 yards before halftime, including a 48-yard run to BenJarvus Green-Ellis and a 44-yard pass from Andy Dalton to A.J. Green. The Raiders' defense finally came to life in the second half, but by then, far too much damage had already been done. For the day, Oakland gave up 415 total yards and 221 rushing yards to a Bengals team that entered the game ranked 20th in rushing. Nickel CB Joselio Hanson made a highlight reel play in the fourth quarter, forcing a fumble then diving to keep ball inbounds, where Tyvon Branch picked it up and raced to the end zone. But that score was wiped away by an official's inadvertent whistle. Previous game’s grade: D

Special teams: C+

After back-to-back disasters against Baltimore and New Orleans, Oakland's special teams had a solid game. The coverage teams, which allowed a 105-yard kickoff return for a TD to Baltimore's Jacoby Jones and a 75-yard return to New Orleans' Travaris Cadet, held the Bengals in check. Raiders kick returner Coye Francies averaged 23.4 yards on five returns. Punt returner Phillip Adams, who has had trouble holding onto the ball, fielded two punts flawlessly. Sebastian Janikowski drilled a 55-yard field goal, and Shane Lechler had a net average of 42.0 yards on six punts, with three of those being downed inside the 20. Previous game’s grade: D

Coaching: F

Coaching in the NFL is a bottom line business, and Raiders coach Dennis Allen and his assistants have to shoulder plenty of the blame for Sunday's loss. The Raiders simply weren't ready to play when the game began. They looked flat and uninspired and didn't wake up until the third quarter when they began fighting to avoid being completely humiliated. Allen deserves credit for his team battling back to outscore Cincinnati 10-0 in the third quarter -- the Raiders had been outscored 123-34 in the third before Sunday. But he and his assistants have to find the right psychological buttons to push before the game begins, not after it's out of reach. Previous game’s grade: D

Follow Raiders reporter Eric Gilmore on Twitter @CBSRaiders.