Bisaccia says frustration not an option for reeling Raiders

There is a whole gamut of emotions players and coaches can experience after losing a game like the Raiders did on Sunday, from anger to depression to resignation.

Interim coach Rich Bisaccia isn’t about to tell his players how they should feel, but there is one feeling he wants them to avoid.

“I’m not big on frustration,” he said Monday at his weekly news conference. “I think it’s a wasted emotion.”

The 6-7 Raiders don’t have time to waste. Despite the dreadful performance in a game that could have vaulted them squarely into the thick of the postseason race, they are still technically holding on to the hope for a late run to the playoffs.

They have a short week to prepare for a road game across the country in Cleveland on Saturday.

“I want them to feel how they feel,” Bisaccia said. “I’m not in charge of someone else’s feelings. I think we are all angry. We’re all disappointed. I’m just trying to look at, from my perspective as coaches, what we can do better, how we can help put them in better situations or better positions to help them play a little bit better.”

Those feelings certainly won’t matter to the 7-6 Browns, who are locked in a battle for their own postseason lives.

Bisaccia indicated after Sunday’s game he would evaluate the players and coaching staff as the Raiders prepare to finish out the final four games on the schedule.

“We will see what practice looks like this week and take a look at our personnel list for us,” he said immediately after the game. “We will dig deep into what we did as coaches and have a chance to respond tomorrow and move on to Cleveland.”

Bisaccia didn’t have any specific changes to announce on Monday.

“I anticipate playing with a different team every week,” he said. “That’s kind of what happens, so I don’t think that will change this week. We’ll see how the injury report files out. We’re always going to try to put players in competitive situations.

“All of a sudden, we have Malcolm Koonce playing. All of a sudden, we have Divine Deablo playing. All of a sudden, we’ve dressed some different guys offensive-line wise and they’ve gotten some different snaps. So, we’ll see how that shakes out.”

Koonce, a rookie defensive end, had a sack. Deablo, a rookie linebacker, had four tackles and five assists.

Whoever is on the field on Saturday will be expected to play with effort regardless of the situation or emotion.

That may not have been the case for the full 60 minutes on Sunday. In particular, a 51-yard touchdown run by Kansas City’s Derrick Gore that looked far too easy late in the fourth quarter.

Bisaccia was asked about the perception his team may not have given maximum effort on the play.

“I think perception and reality can be two different things, or they can be the same,” he said. “I certainly don’t think any of us were excited about the long run we gave up towards the end of the game, and I didn’t think giving up the run before the end of the half with the missed tackles was good as well.”

Kansas City’s Clyde Edwards-Helaire broke several tackles on a 6-yard touchdown run near the end of the first half.

He pointed out some of the uncharacteristic turnovers and sloppy mistakes, especially by key players, may have had a lingering effect on the entire team.

“I think when you do that you kind of dull your senses a little bit to as what’s going on,” Bisaccia said. “So, I don’t really think we played with the same effort we’ve played with to the bitter end, which I’ve said before. And that will certainly be addressed, it was addressed with them.”

Contact Adam Hill at ahill@reviewjournal.com. Follow @AdamHillLVRJ on Twitter.