So there we were at the Oakland airport, nursing a little liquid cheer as, on the screen behind the bar, a pass interference call gave the Raiders a chance to actually win the game against the hapless Cleveland Browns. Sure, they were down by 14 with less than five minutes to go. But they were at the two-yard line with first and ten. A touchdown and an onside kick, or a touchdown and a solid defensive performance, and hey, you got yourself a game. What happened? Four incomplete passes — four ineptly incomplete passes. The bartender watches the last, sad snap, turns his back, and mutters, “Jesus, Al.” Browns win it, 23-9. And so the calendar year closes on the Raiders.
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