Coming into the Atlanta game, Russell had been better than 60 percent at home and less than 40 on the road.

"It seems like whatever could go wrong, did go wrong," Russell said.

Russell, outplayed by Atlanta's Matt Ryan, another young franchise quarterback, understands his role in the Raiders' struggles will be heavily scrutinized.

"You think, 'What if?' What could have been done differently?" Russell said. "Basically, when it all falls down to it, everybody looks at the quarterback and the head coach. Whether you like it or not, it's going to fall back on those two guys. To be a bigger man, you have to take it and run with it."

--After the Raiders started the season looking as if they'd shored up their issues with run defense, where they gave up an NFL-worst 4.8 yards per carry and were 31st in terms of yards per game, opponents have averaged 177 yards per game against the Raiders over their last four.

In the last two games at home, the Raiders have given up 295 yards rushing.

"It's embarrassing. To have that happen at home, it's terrible," DE Jay Richardson said. "There's no excuse for it. I don't care if they have Jim Brown back there."

It galled CB Nnamdi Asomugha that when the Falcons were killing the clock in the second half, the Raiders still couldn't stop them even though they knew what was coming.

"When we get to the fourth quarter, it looks like the game is over and there's about five or six minutes left, then why should they be able to run the ball like they do every single week?" Asomugha said. "That stuff is inexcusable and it's unconscionable and it should never happen. They're going to run the football. There's no reason it should keep happening."

--FB Justin Griffith underwent surgery to repair a torn ACL and hopes to be back on the field by minicamp, although the club is not likely to be that aggressive.

Griffith didn't see all of Sunday's game against his former team on television, but had a good excuse.

"I watched as much as I could before the Percocet set it," Griffith said.