OAKLAND – Now when the Raiders lose, the team isn't sure how to explain why.

Interim head coach Tom Cable cited offensive penalties as the reason for their demise in Sunday's 17-6 loss to the Carolina Panthers.

Here's how Cable put it: "This is a tale of too many penalties, particularly on offense."

Oakland (2-7) finished with just four offensive penalties, one after halftime.

But when you're as inept on offense as the Raiders, maybe four penalties are too much to overcome.

That was true on a day when Carolina (7-2) did all it could to give the game to the Raiders and won because the Oakland offense did what it does best: squander opportunities.

Carolina quarterback Jake Delhomme was in a giving mood, throwing four interceptions and completing just 7 of 27 passes.

According to Stats LLC, Delhomme is only the second quarterback to win throwing four interceptions and completing less than 30 percent of his passes. Cincinnati's Ken Anderson is the other, going 4 of 19 with four interceptions and passing for 75 yards in a 14-10 win over the Raiders on Oct. 19, 1975.

Delhomme's feat is a testament to the Raiders' awful offense. Oakland hasn't scored a touchdown since the third quarter of its 29-10 loss to Baltimore on Oct. 26, a span of nine quarters.

Andrew Walter filled in for an injured JaMarcus Russell at quarterback. He left for two series in the fourth quarter because of a sprained ankle and was replaced by Marques Tuiasosopo, but returned for the game's final drive.

Walter completed 14 of 32 passes for 143 yards with two interceptions and was sacked three times.

He found out he'd be starting in place of Russell, whose injured right knee hadn't improved since Thursday, about an hour and a half before kickoff.

Walter's last start was Dec. 23, 2006, and he said he didn't feel rusty. It would appear as if he never left, because much like they did in 2006, the Raiders play offense as if they're allergic to the end zone.

The Raiders have only nine touchdowns and were shut out in the first half for the fourth time this season.

But Walter said playing Sunday was nothing like his nightmarish 2006 season, when he was sacked 46 times in 12 games and the Raiders had the NFL's worst offense.

Walter was benched that season after complaining the offense didn't give him any options if his receivers weren't open.

"We had checkdowns, didn't we?" Walter said in a rare comedic moment. "Totally different."

Some things, unfortunately, weren't different.

As he did a lot two years ago, Walter was left praising a defensive effort that gave the Raiders chances they couldn't take advantage of.

Three of the Raiders' four interceptions put the Oakland offense in Carolina territory. But all the Raiders managed were two field goals by Sebastian Janikowski and an interception.

"We couldn't catch a break," Walter said. "It was tough as an offense. We couldn't get into a rhythm all day."

The Raiders made sure Delhomme was never in rhythm.

"They have a long, athletic and fast defense, and we certainly didn't do much against them," Delhomme said. "They were playing a lot of man-to-man, they were covering the guys, and even when I tried to get checkdowns, we just didn't have it. We tried to run screens; it just wasn't there."

It was quite the bounce-back performance the defense needed after it was embarrassed a week earlier by Atlanta.

But not all was good for the defense. In the second quarter, the Panthers capitalized on something that has ailed the unit in recent years.

Carolina's DeAngelo Williams ran through at least three tackles for a 69-yard score to make it 14-0, an insurmountable lead the way the Raiders have looked on offense lately.

Oakland has averaged seven points in its last five games.

"Pretty good play for all (of) our defense," Cable said. "I'd like to see us tackle better in the end there, but very proud of our effort."

It'll take more than effort for these Raiders to win.

They need to score some points.

Read Jason Jones' Raiders blog at www.sacbee.com/raidersblog.