Storyline: With Sunday’s win against the Ravens, Oakland is 3-1 for the first time in over a decade.
The Oakland Raiders were struggling mightily on offense during the second half in Baltimore on Sunday. They had a whopping five yards total in the third quarter, yet still clung to a 14-12 lead. Then, late in the third, the Raiders’ defense made a big play: Bruce Irvin swiped the ball away from Raven’s QB Joe Flacco.
Courtesy: KCRA.com
Oakland took advantage–QB Derek Carr delivered every time when the team found itself in the Red Zone–and Carr drilled a 13-yard TD to Michael Crabtree, their second scoring hookup of the game. The Raiders held a 21-12 lead.
Then it was Raiders meltdown time.
Flacco hit Steve Smith with what should have been a simple 15-yard pass, but Smith showed why he’s a future Hall of Famer. He used every bit of old man strength, stiff-arming cornerback David Amerson to the turf. Smith was off. He juked Reggie Nelson and dove into the end zone for a 52-yard TD.
Just like that the Ravens were down, 21-19.
The Raiders’ self-destruction continued on the very next drive. First came a holding call on rookie right tackle Vadal Alexander–his third of the day–to push Oakland back towards its own end zone. On the next play rookie RB DeAndre Washington put the ball on the turf. Ravens recovered and, not long after, the Ravens were again back in the end zone.
That TD coupled with a failed two-point conversion gave Baltimore a 27-21 lead.
At that point going 3-1 seemed like a pipe dream for Raiders’ fans–a 14-year dream, the last time Oakland started 3-1. But it wasn’t a pipedream after all! These young Raiders have grit.
NBCbayarea.com
With just over three minutes left, Carr started a drive off with a 15-yard pass to Crabtree. On the next play Carr hit Crabtree again, this time for 11 yards, and the Raiders were at midfield.
After an incompletion, Carr found TW Clive Walford with a 17-yard seam pass. After one more incompletion, Carr went back to his money man–Crabtree. Carr fired a pass perfectly into the corner of the end zone past two defenders to find King Crab for his third TD … and best of the day.
Crabtree snagged the ball out of the air while tapping one foot in bounds and dragging the other.
Touchdown RAAAAAAAAAAAAIIIIIIIIDEEEEERRRRRRRRS!!! (In my best Greg Papa voice, of course.)
The drive was pure football bliss, but it was also too fast. With 2:12 left and clutch Joe Flacco and kicker Justin Tucker on the Raven’s sideline, I wasn’t feeling confident. The Ravens win three games a year on last-second Tucker field goals.
When the Ravens ripped off a 20-yard run just before the two-minute warning I almost resigned myself to losing on a game-winning field goal. Only a year ago the Raiders suffered that exact fate in Chicago (Week 4) when Robbie Gould hit a +50-yard game winner.
But, thankfully, the Raiders defense stepped up for the second straight week. Ravens’ rookie wide out, Chris Moore, drooped a short Flacco pass. Another Flacco incompletion came on second down.
By then the Raiders pass rush was charging with fury and Flacco was feeling the heat. He short armed a throw to his tight end.
It’s now 4th and 10 with the game hanging in the balance. Flacco fired it down the middle of the field. The ball is in Kamar Aiken’s hands and then … pops out … as Nelson trucks him with a well-timed hit. The ball falls to the turf, game over, and … yes … the Raiders are indeed 3-1.
Courtesy: justblogbaby.com
This team is now 3-0 on the road, but needs to start winning at home where they are 3-6 under coach Jack Del Rio. Oakland gets San Diego and Kansas City at home over the next two weeks, and there’s nothing like solving that issue in October.
Could this team actually be 5-1, Raider Nation?
Let’s enjoy the victory over Baltimore, at least for a bit, before we even go there.
Game Day Observations: Another week means another all pro-type game by Michael Crabtree. His chemistry with Carr is off-the-charts and he makes clutch catches every week. Each of his three TD catches was better than the last. I’m not sure why the 49ers ever let him go, but that move seems like grand larceny for Oakland. I mention Crabtree every single week because he just keeps producing.
Khalil Mack was dominating whomever was across from him on the Ravens’ line. There probably could have been ten holds on Mack called last Sunday because guys were basically tackling him. Mack also picked up his first sack but, more importantly, was a constant force against the Ravens’ offense. This is exactly what we expect from a man who’s a force of nature.
Cory James jolts Ravens (photo, sacramento.cbslocal.com)
Another force of nature was rookie linebacker Cory James. James was everywhere with 15 total tackles (12 solo), one tackle for a loss, and one forced fumble.
This was only James’ second start in the NFL and it’s looking quite promising. He has been an instant upgrade over second-year man, Ben Heeney. Improvements are evident now that Heeney and fellow rookie, Karl Joseph, have been thrown into the starting line-up on defense.
The Raiders’ running attack failed to generate over 100 yards. Besides one nifty run by rookie Washington, the run game was ineffective. I’m still in favor of going with the three-headed monster of Latavius Murray, Jalen Richard and Washington, but would actually like to see Richard get a little more playing time. His explosiveness and burst should qualify him for a little more time on the field.
Player of the Game
Courtesy: thescore.com
Derek Carr wasn’t his best self for most of the game, but he was right on target when it mattered most. The Raiders offense looked out of sync for most of the day with a season high six three-and-outs.
However, Carr’s work in the Red Zone (4 TD passes in 4 trips) is winning football. Carr made the winning drive look almost too easy. It was his seventh 4th quarter comeback in a little more than two seasons.
Carr keeps growing with every game and is the cornerstone of a franchise on the upswing. Raider Nation hasn’t had a young gun to root for like this since the days of Ken Stabler.
