Tag: Raiders Drive of the Game

Back to back replays stop Raiders’ drive of the game against the Broncos

On back to back plays, it appeared the Raiders scored the first touchdown of the day against the Broncos.

The Raiders’ offense had a great day in terms of total yardage but didn’t capitalize in the red zone against the Broncos on their way to a 16-15 loss.

On six tries from inside Denver’s 20-yard line, the Raiders scored a single touchdown, which tied the score late before Oakland missed a two-point conversion, sealing their fate.

On this week’s drive of the game, it appeared the Raiders scored an early touchdown, the game’s first. But two consecutive official replays stymied their second-quarter effort.

On 3rd and goal from the 5-yard line, quarterback Derek Carr hit wide receiver Hunter Renfrow at the goal line, and officials on the field signaled for a touchdown. The replay official overruled the call, though video evidence wasn’t overwhelming.

The Raiders elected to go for it on fourth and short, handing the ball off to fullback Alec Ingold. Officials ruled him short of the goal line. The video showed Ingold appear to cross the plane, but it was hard to see the ball and after a Gruden challenge, the call stood.

Coach Jon Gruden’s offense outgained the Broncos 477 to 238 but failed time and again when near the end zone. The Raiders must do a much better job of converting in Las Vegas next season so they can overcome rough breaks from the officiating crew that are bound to happen.

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[lawrence-newsletter]

Raiders shake 3rd-quarter blues with drive of the game against Chargers

The Raiders scored their first third-quarter touchdown since Week 8, helping them stay alive in the playoff hunt.

In beating the Chargers to break a four-game losing streak and stay alive for the playoffs, the Raiders did something they haven’t done since Week 8: score a touchdown in the third quarter.

Oakland got the ball first to open the second half and methodically marched their way down the field to take a commanding 21-7 lead, resulting in this week’s drive of the game. The Raiders eventually won, 24-17 in front of thousands of Raiders fans in LA.

After having just 19 rushing yards in the first half, Oakland turned to the run game for this drive. It must be noted, however, that three of those yards came on a touchdown scramble by quarterback Derek Carr to close the first half. Still, the Raiders had done nearly all their damage through the air when the third quarter started.

The 13-play, 75-yard march began with three carries for 14 yards from running back DeAndre Washington, who started in place of the injured Josh Jacobs. Carr switched things up with a 20-yard pass to tight end Darren Waller on 2nd and 4.

A short Washington run and a 6-yard pass to TE Derek Carrier set up a 3rd-and-1, which Washington easily converted with a 5-yard tote. Gruden called Washington’s number again and the back rewarded him with a 6-yard gain.

On 2nd and 4 from the Chargers 21-yard line, RB Jalen Richard spelled Wahington for four plays, running the ball twice and hauing in two receptions. On the last Richard touch, he made his defender miss after catching a third-down pass, gaining a crucial last yard to set the Raiders up with 1st and goal at the 5-yard line.

Washington didn’t waste time after coming back into the game and ran it in from there to cap the drive, which itself ran 8:49 off the clock and set the tone for the second half, something the Raiders have struggled mightily to do.

Carr’s run in the first half capped another drive worthy of this column’s weekly honors. That 11-play march built momentum for the second half. But with the Raiders having been outscored in the third period 101 to 20 entering this game, the third-quarter effort gets the nod.

Gruden dismissed his club’s poor rushing numbers in the first half and put the drive in the hands of Jacobs’ backups, making what amounted to an adjustment after multiple pass-happy drives led by Carr.

It worked like a charm, instilling confidence in the Raiders while punching the Chargers in the chops, leading the way to victory and a possible playoff berth.

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[lawrence-newsletter]

Raiders botch last chance in Oakland with this week’s drive of the game

The Raiders exited their last game at the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum to a chorus of boos because of failure on this second-half drive.

The Raiders collapsed in the second half against the Jaguars on Sunday in the franchise’s last game in its historic home, the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum.

The result was a 20-16 loss and a final curtain call to a chorus of boos from the home crowd. There were plenty of disastrous drives in the game to choose from for this week’s offensive series of note, given the Raiders failed to score any points in the third or fourth quarter.

But special recognition goes out to Oakland’s second to last drive of the contest. The Raiders had their chance to ice the game, up 16-13, but they failed in epic fashion.

The Jaguars had just marched down the field for a touchdown, and Oakland took the ball at its own 30-yard line with just over five minutes left to play. Five consecutive carries by running back Josh Jacobs put the Raiders at Jacksonville’s 43-yard line. The Jaguars called their second timeout, and a 2nd-and-9 play awaited.

Carr scrambled for 12 yards and slid before he went out of bounds to keep the clock running. Though he appeared well inbounds, the officials stopped the clock, just before the 2-minute warning. Coach Jon Gruden tried to challenge the play, but that scenario is not reviewable.

Not only did the clock stop, but the Raiders were also called for delay of game for Carr’s celebration after what he figured was a big play. Oakland lost a timeout temporarily, as well, before the officials decided to give it back.

The play saved the Jaguars their own valuable timeout. A short Jacobs carry brought the 2-minute warning, and after another modest Jacobs run, the Jaguars used their last clock stoppage. On 3rd-and-11, Carr fired over the middle to wide receiver Tyrell Williams, who dropped the ball. Though he was not at the marker, Williams would have come close to a first down and kept the clock moving.

A catch would have also made kicker Daniel Carlson’s field goal try easier. He missed, even after a penalty by Jacksonville gave him a second attempt after missing initially.

At the end of it all, the Jaguars had 1:44 to drive for a tieing FG or score a touchdown to surge ahead. They accomplished the latter, and the Raiders left the field in shame after a last-ditch hail mary pass failed.

The Raiders caught a bad break on Carr’s scramble, but they still had an opportunity to seal a win in this historic game. Instead, they lost their composure and came up short.

The offense was horrific, deserving every bit of blame in losing this one and inspiring many in the home crowd to boo their beloved Raiders as the franchise walks out the door.

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[lawrence-newsletter]

Raiders’ drive of the game vs. Titans: Offense can’t compliment rare defensive stop

The Raiders had a chance to take control against the Titans but failed to complement big plays from their defense and special teams.

Another Raiders loss, and unfortunately for Oakland, another disastrous drive of the game.

After salvaging a tie score in the first half against the Titans, the Raiders’ special teams and defense made big plays early in the third quarter, handing the offense a short field and a chance to take the lead.

The golden opportunity to play complementary football fell by the wayside, however. The Raiders came up short on this week’s drive of note, which helped usher in a 42-21 loss.

After the Raiders failed to convert a 3rd-and-2 play on their opening drive of the second half, a skillful 37-yard boot from punter A.J. Cole pinned the Titans back at their own 6-yard line.

Oakland’s defense forced Tennessee’s first punt of the game, with linebacker Nicholas Morrow disrupting a big third-down play with a blitz. It was a three-and-out series, so after a Titans punt and a 12-yard return by running back Jalen Richard, the Raiders were in business. They were primed to break a 21-21 tie.

But the offense fell flat, going three and out themselves. A short run by RB DeAndre Washington gave way to a near interception from quarterback Derek Carr on second down. The pass should have been picked off; it landed right in the hands of Titans LB Jayon Brown after an attempted dump-off by Carr.

On 3rd-and-8, Carr dropped back to pass. Facing modest pressure, he climbed the pocket expertly, keeping his eyes down the field. He misfired, however, on an attempted throw to wide receiver Zay Jones, who was tightly covered.

When the team watches the game film, they’ll see an open receiver in Keelan Doss, who slipped initially on the play but recovered in time for Carr’s pocket climb. The Titans scored on the ensuing drive, and the Raiders never had another chance to take the lead.

Capitalizing on this opportunity wouldn’t have guaranteed the Raiders a victory. Far from it. The defense played terribly all day. But a score would have lifted the club’s spirt and extended the game further at the least. Additionally, it was a prime chance to practice what coach Jon Gruden preaches: complimentary football. The offense, however, couldn’t capitalize.

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[lawrence-newsletter]

Raiders’ drive of the game in blowout loss against Jets

The Raiders had one last chance to get back in the game against the Jets but faltered on this week’s agonizing drive of the game.

The Raiders had one last chance to get back in the game against the Jets but faltered on this week’s agonizing drive of the game.

Having been dominated for more than one half of football, the Raiders were trailing the Jets 20-3. Oakland took the ball with plenty of time to mount a comeback — just under 13 minutes to play in the third quarter — thanks to a quick score by New York to open that period of play.

On 3rd and 7, after a run for no gain by running back Josh Jacobs and a short pass to tight end Foster Moreau, Carr scrambled beautifully for 11 yards and a first down. Jacobs broke loose for seven yards on the next play, and it appeared the Raiders’ rushing attack would get on track against a stout Jets run defense, which would open up coach Jon Gruden’s playbook.

On 2nd and 3, however, center Rodney Hudson committed a holding penalty on a 2-yard loss by Jacobs, and Oakland was behind the sticks. But Carr found wide receiver Hunter Renfrow who made two defenders miss on his way to an impressive 11-yard reception, setting up a 3rd-and-2 play.

Gruden called Jacobs’ number. He ran forward behind pulling guard, Richie Incognito, and fell with the football right at the line to gain. After a suspect spot of the football, it was 4th-and-1. Gruden didn’t hesitate, and ran yet again, this time with fullback Alec Ingold, the Raiders’ short-yardage specialist.

Ingold was stopped just short of the line, on a play that saw Jacobs motion out of the backfield, removing an element of surprise for the run defense. It was clear who would get the ball. Additionally, the rookie fullback was offset to the right, and ran, for what seemed like forever, to the interior left, when it appeared there was just enough room up the middle for the needed yardage.

One play later, after a lost challenge from Gruden, New York pulled off a double-reverse flea-flicker on its way to another touchdown and the rout was on. It was a dismal day for the Raiders, and this drive was their last hurrah. It didn’t go well, just like the entire day, and the squad might be wise to throw the game film in the dumpster and prepare for their upcoming game against the Chiefs right away.

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Raiders’ drive of the game vs. Bengals: Derek Carr channels Rich Gannon

Raiders quarterback Derek Carr righted Oakland’s ship early in the game with this week’s drive, using both his arm and his legs.

The Raiders defense carried Oakland to a 17-10 victory against the winless Bengals, but that doesn’t mean the offense didn’t have its moments.

Rookie running back Josh Jacobs finished with 112 rushing yards on 23 carries. Wide receiver Tyrell Williams and tight end Darren Waller both had more than 75 yards receiving.

But it was quarterback Derek Carr that stole the show in this week’s drive of the game, doing his best impression of the last Raiders QB to take the franchise to a Super Bowl, and to play under coach Jon Gruden, Rich Gannon.

By the time the drive started, Carr already completed his first 11 passes and pulled the Raiders even at 7-7 in the second quarter. Gannon was the last Raiders quarterback to start a game so efficiently, in 2001 under Gruden, according to the CBS broadcast.

Carr didn’t stop there. After a 10-yard run by Jacobs, Carr completed his first pass of the drive to wide receiver Tyrell Williams for 21 yards. A roughing the passer penalty pushed Oakland to the Bengals’ 34-yard line.

Gruden kept feeding Jacobs; the rookie ran twice for 14 yards, followed by a reception for three more and another rush, this one good for five, leading to the two-minute warning. A 3rd-and-2 play at the 12-yard line awaited.

After the break, Carr found wide receiver Hunter Renfrow for 10 more yards. Jacobs ran for a short gain. On second down, Carr just missed tight end Darren Waller in the end zone. Though his reception streak snapped, Carr wasn’t finished evoking Gannon, the former NFL MVP.

After a drop back on third down, Carr bolted for the end zone, bringing to mind many Gannon scrambles on the way to an electrifying TD run.

Carr and the offense scored just enough points to win, but that’s the keyword: win. Though Carr’s offense didn’t perform as they would have liked, they produced yards and were on the field for more than 35 minutes, giving the defense much-needed rest.

Gruden, meanwhile, must be proud of the coaching job he’s done with Carr. The quarterback’s gunslinger style is toned down, and a precise signal-caller, reminiscent of the crafty Gannon, is on display. Given Carr’s superior arm talent, the compromise is something to behold. The Raiders may have won ugly against a bad team, but Carr’s TD run was still a thing of beauty, capping this week’s drive of the game.

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