Raiders are officially eliminated from playoffs. What went wrong?

The ramifications of botching the final minute of their game against the Kansas City Chiefs on Black Friday continue to roll in for the Raiders

Not only did they cost themselves a chance to beat their bitter AFC West rivals, but they also sabotaged their faint hopes of making a playoff run.

By the end of Sunday’s NFL games, the Raiders’ postseason fate was sealed. They and the New England Patriots were eliminated from the AFC playoff chase.

That means the Raiders (2-10) will miss the playoffs for the 20th time in the last 22 seasons.

The Raiders last appeared in the postseason in 2021 and before that in 2016. They have not won a playoff game since the 2002 season — the last time they reached the Super Bowl — and counting this season, they have two winning records in the past 22 seasons.

“It’s been a hard season,” quarterback Aidan O’Connell said.

What went wrong?

No one was talking about the Super Bowl within the walls of the Raiders’ building, but there was a belief that a winning record and perhaps a wild-card run was in their reach.

Doing so was predicated on veteran Gardner Minshew stabilizing the quarterback position by playing efficient football. And the run game, fueled by Zamir White, would become the driving force of the offense. And a defense that returned 10 of 11 starters would build off the momentum of a top-10 performance in 2023.

Just as important, Antonio Pierce needed an expedited learning curve in his first full season as coach.

For various reasons, none of that happened.

Injuries, including to defensive lineman Christian Wilkins, their big-ticket free-agent signing, and young pass rusher Malcolm Koonce, derailed the defense. After giving up the ninth-fewest points in the NFL last season, the Raiders are now surrendering the fifth-most.

Minshew was a turnover machine before suffering a season-ending broken collarbone in Week 12. Before that, he had been benched four times through 10 games.

O’Connell, who Minshew beat out for the starting job in training camp, didn’t distinguish himself when replacing Minshew as the starter at various times. The second-year quarterback also missed four games with a fractured right thumb.

O’Connell played relatively well against the Chiefs on Friday — his first start since returning from the thumb injury. But the Raiders continued to stall in the red zone, converting just one touchdown on five trips.

White never got on track, and the run game plummeted to the bottom of the NFL. His future in Las Vegas is uncertain.

As for Pierce, the Raiders knew he needed to grow as a game manager. But despite surrounding himself with veteran coaches Marvin Lewis and Joe Philbin and frequent consultations with two-time Super Bowl-winning coach Tom Coughlin, Pierce continues to struggle.

Friday was a case in point, as the Raiders looked indecisive and unprepared in the closing seconds. A game that could have ended with Daniel Carlson attempting a game-winning field goal was fumbled away by Pierce and the Raiders’ lack of preparedness.

As a result, Pierce’s future with the club could be in jeopardy.

The quarterbacks’ struggles and the nonexistent running game have derailed the offense and cost coordinator Luke Getsy his job.

Scott Turner replaced Getsy on an interim basis. But despite certain aspects of the offense looking better under Turner, the Raiders have scored 19 and 17 points in his two games in charge.

In other words, they are no better scoring under Turner than they were under Getsy. The Raiders’ average of 18.7 points per game ranks 27th in the NFL.

Among other things, the Raiders will undoubtedly look to upgrade at quarterback in the offseason.

What becomes the motivation?

The Raiders have five games left to create positive momentum.

Tight end Brock Bowers has a chance to secure Offensive Rookie of the Year honors. The former Georgia star leads the NFL in receptions with 84 and is fourth in yards with 884. He burned the Chiefs for 140 yards on 10 catches and was arguably the best offensive player on the field throughout the second half.

“He’s pretty special, obviously,” O’Connell said. “He makes incredible plays, play after play.”

Pierce agrees.

“Just all fight is this kid. I just love it,” he said. “And he’s the same guy every day. We get off the plane, he’s got his black shorts and his black T-shirt on, and he’s ready to roll and get ready for work the next day.”

A young offensive line that has grown in the past few weeks can establish itself as a reliable anchor for future offenses.

A slew of defensive players in the final seasons of their contracts are auditioning for new deals with the club, and young secondary players such as rookie Decamerion Richardson hope to solidify future roles.

Postseason or not, the Raiders have played competitive football at times, including in Kansas City against the defending Super Bowl champions.

“Love the effort, dedication, termination,” Pierce said Saturday. “I appreciate everybody’s effort, dedication, commitment and fight that they showed this week.”

For now, anyway, pride and aspirations are all the Raiders have going for them.

Contact Vincent Bonsignore at vbonsignore@reviewjournal.com. Follow @VinnyBonsignore on X