Opinion: In land of crapshoots and crazy odds, it was a long-shot victory for the Las Vegas Raiders
finished off the Baltimore Ravens, 33-27, after it appeared they had won, were destined to lose, then wound up winning after all.
“Emotional rollercoaster,” is what Raiders running back Josh Jacobs called it.
The Raiders won when Carr beat an all-out blitz by connecting with Zay Jones for a 31-yard touchdown that was set up by Lamar Jackson’s second lost fumble of the second half. Just when Carr thought the game had slipped away, he got a reprieve.
32 things we learned
WINNERS AND LOSERS:Steelers strut their stuff in win over Bills
Somewhere, Al Davis, the late Raiders owner and NFL nemesis, might be laughing at all of us.
I mean, it’s just so fitting that something wacky would happen when the Raiders marked the occasion of some fresh milestone. After all, this is the franchise that has The Holy Roller, The Immaculate Reception and The Tuck Rule in its annals. So, new stadium, new episode of weirdness makes perfect sense.
Then again, there was some fundamental football at work, too.
Carr passed 56 times for 435 yards and except for the pick in OT that wasn’t his fault, he didn’t throw an interception. He found his amazing tight end, Darren Waller, 10 times for 105 yards. And Hunter Renfrow (6 catches, 70 yards) deserves mention for his 27-yard tip-toe job down the sideline that got the juices flowing early in OT. The kicker, Daniel Carlson, forced overtime by nailing a 55-yarder with two seconds on the clock in regulation. The defense pummeled Jackson into the two fumbles that led to touchdowns. First, in the fourth quarter, it was D-tackle Quinton Jefferson poking the ball loose, which led to a 15-yard TD run by Jacobs. In the OT, Carl Nassib barreled around the corner and jarred the ball loose, which gave the Raiders the ball at the Ravens’ 27-yard line.