What a game. Through much of this game it was looking like a replay of the season opener against the Chargers. Where the Raiders defense keeps it close while the offense flails and ultimately sees the opposing team put things together late to win it.
Even early into the fourth quarter, it still had that feel. The Ravens drove for a field goal to end the first half and a touchdown to begin the third quarter to make it a ten-point game. Meanwhile it was most of the way through the third quarter and the Raiders still hadn’t gotten in the end zone and were down by ten.
Then suddenly they turned it on and scored three straight times while the defense allowed one score and they pulled off the upset.
There were so many heroes, it was hard to pick a Top Baller this week. But I managed.
Ballers
LB Robert Spillane
To be the biggest playmaker in a game full of playmakers is quite an accomplishment.
He led the team with ten combined tackles (eight solo) and nearly all of them were huge plays. The first Ravens drive featured two Spillane run stuffs for a net two yards and the third down tackle on a catch short of the sticks.
Spillane stalled another drive in the second quarter by tracking Lamar Jackson on a rollout to the right sideline to keep containment and force him to make a bad pass incomplete.
The Ravens got in the endzone on their first drive of the third quarter. But Spillane did his part to try and keep that from happening when he stuffed a run at the line on first and goal. The next drive, he intercepted a Lamar Jackson pass off a deflection to give the Raiders another shot with great field position. They took advantage of it to drive for their first touchdown, making that turnover crucial to the outcome.
The Raiders would pull within seven points midway through the fourth quarter, putting it in the hands of the defense to give them a shot to tie it up. They did the job too, with Spillane batted down Jackson’s pass on third down to send the Ravens offense away with a three-and-out.
After the offense drove for a game-tying touchdown, the defense came out to try and keep the Ravens from driving for the game winner. Spillane followed up a big sack by Maxx Crosby with a run stuff for no gain. The Ravens couldn’t make up the third and long, giving the Raiders a chance to win it in regulation. And they did just that.
DE Maxx Crosby
He was his usual holy terror self, which is not always the easiest thing to do against a multifaceted quarterback like Lamar Jackson.
Crsoby had a run stuff on the Ravens’ first play from scrimmage and a sack on the fourth play. Then he had a run tackle for loss on the second possession, leading to a three-and-out. So, yeah, it was shaping up to be a long day keeping the Condor contained.
First play of the second quarter was another Crosby run stuff for a loss, leading to another three-and-out. He added a batted pass on the next drive.
After the Raiders tied it up at 23-23 midway through the fourth, Crosby came flying up the gut right into to Jackson’s face for a nine-yard sack. That sealed the Ravens’ fate.
QB Gardner Minshew, WR Davante Adams, TE Brock Bowers
We pick up the action in the third quarter. That’s when the Raiders offense started to get things rolling. The first big completion went for 25 yards to Brock Bowers to put them in scoring range. But ultimately the Raiders could go for it on the 4th and short and fail, with Minshew’s pass for Davante a bit short and Adams unable to make the catch around a defender. But it was a sign of things to come.
The Raiders defense would take the ball back and the offense returned to mount another drive. The big play saw Minshew stand tall in the pocket as he waited for something to open up and then Bowers came back to his QB to make the catch inside the five and put the Raiders in first and goal at the one. They punched it in on the next play.
Next possession they were on the move again. It featured consecutive connections with Adams for 26 yards and 30 yards. The 26-yarder came on a perfect pass from Minshew, throwing it before Adams had even made his break, so he turned the find the ball right there. The 30-yard catch was especially impressive, with Adams leaning out of bounds, dragging his toes.
That drive ended in a field goal, which meant a touchdown was needed to tie it up. First play of the Raiders next drive, had well placed ball from Minshew with Davante’s notorious late hands ensuring the defender had no shot at it up the left sideline for 29 yards. Bowers got hte next first own on a 15-yard grab. Then Bowers would convert on third down with an 11-yard catch to put the Raiders in first and goal at the nine. Adams was interfered with to put it at the one. Where Minshew had a masterful read option where he pulled it back and threw it over the defense to Adams for the game-tying touchdown.
CB Nate Hobbs, CB Jack Jones, CB Jakorian Bennett
Just like the above trio, I just couldn’t separate these guys. Bennett showed up first with a huge pass breakup on a deep ball attempt up the left sideline in the second quarter. This forced a 56-yard field goal attempt which Justin Tucker missed wide.
The next drive began with a coverage incompletion by Jones. Bennett would also force an incompletion on the drive with tight coverage. And finally, Jones made the tackle short of the first down to force the Ravens to settled for a field goal.
The third quarter saw Bennett break up another pass. This time Spillane was there to intercept it off the deflection. The takeaway led to the Raiders getting their first touchdown of the day.
With the Raiders making a push, and within a score, Jones helped that effort by stopping Lamar Jackson for a loss on a scramble. Jones would then effectively end the game with a pass breakup on a deep attempt up the right sideline that looked for a moment to be a catch that would have been enough for the Ravens to tie it up. Clutch.
Nate Hobbs just simply locked it up on the day, giving up just one catch for 13 yards.
K Daniel Carlson
He was 4-for-4 on the day with field goals from 53 and 51 yards. That’s doing his job.