Post-Game recap of the Oakland Raiders 35-32 victory over the Carolina Panthers.
The legend of Derek Carr counties to grow in the Bay Area. The Oakland Raiders third-year signal-caller fired off yet another set of game-winning throws in what is shaping up to be a potential MVP-season for the Fresno State product.
With around 9:00 remaining and his team trailing by 8 points, Carr connected with sophomore tight end Clive Walford on 3rd & 11 from the Carolina 26-yard line for 14 yards to keep his team’s hopes alive of keeping pace with the New England Patriots for the AFC’s top record.
On the very next play, he again connected with Walford, but this time for six. A few seconds later, Carr hit his heavily covered slot receiver Seth Roberts in the corner of the end zone to convert a two-point conversion to tie the game at 32 with 8:37 remaining in the contest.
After a Carolina punt, Carr hit Michael Crabtree with a 49-yard bomb to the Carolina 37-yard line in a connection that’s come up clutch time and time again for the Silver and Black this season.
Two plays later the duo connected once again, this time to take the Raiders to their opponents 17-yard line after a 15-yard strike. They almost connected on yet another game-winning score on 3rd & Goal from the 5-yard line with1:47 remaining, but the Texas Tech-product stumbled before Carr’s pass reached him and eventually fell incomplete.
But on the next play, Sebastian Janikowski converted from 23 yards out to give the Raiders a 35-32 lead.
After driving into Raider-territory, Panthers quarterback Cam Newton failed to complete three straight passes before Oakland superstar Khalil Mack recovered his own strip-sack around midfield.
Game over.
The win secured Oakland’s first winning season since the 2002-2003, when they went to the Super Bowl.
THE DROUGHT IS OVER!!
— Just Blog Baby (@JustBlogBaby) November 28, 2016
The Raiders have clinched their first winning season since 2002.
Just Win, Baby.
Carr finished the game completing 26 of 38 passes for 315 yards, two touchdowns and one interception, good for a 100.2 passer-rating and besting his defending-MVP counterpart in Newton, who was just 14 of 28 for 246 yards, two touchdowns and one interception with a 89.3 passer rating. Both quarterbacks were sacked twice.
Latavius Murray and Jalen Richard were the only Raider ball carriers on the afternoon, with Murray finishing the game with just 45 yards on 19 carries (2.4 YPC) and the rookie-Richard gaining 23 yards on seven carries (3.3 YPC). Murray added a second quarter-touchdown.
Their contemporary, Jonathan Stewart thrashed, the Raider’s rush defense with 96 yards and two touchdowns on just 17 carries (5.6 YPC).
Crabtree paced the Raiders with 110 yards on 8 catches, his third game over the century-mark this season. Walford and Murray both added 43 yards on 3 receptions, with Walford securing the game-tying fourth quarter score. Seth Roberts added the opening score of the game for both teams and finished with 3 receptions for 31 yards.
Mack and fellow edge-rusher Bruce Irvin each had one sack, one pass-defended and one QB hit, with Mack recording a pick-six of Newton just before halftime to give the Raiders a 24-7 lead that they would squander in the next quarter.
Khalil Mack had an INT, sack, FF, FR and TD. He's the 1st player since Charles Woodson in 2009 to do all 5 of those things in same game. pic.twitter.com/XI8DS22Bqb
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) November 28, 2016
Rookie Safety Karl Joesph had an unusually quite game, with only 3 tackles. Cornerback Sean Smith defended two passes, while D.J. Hayden defended one pass while filling in for David Amerson.
Sebastian Janikowski was perfect on the afternoon, with two 23-yard field goals and two extra points.
Marquette King averaged 48 yards per punt on five punts.
The Raiders will remain one game ahead of either the Broncos or Chiefs (and two games ahead of the other) who are currently playing in Denver on NBC’s Sunday Night Football.
Oakland fell behind the New England Patriots into the AFC’s #2 seed for the playoffs based on having one fewer victory against AFC foes in one fewer contest. However, the Raiders can pass New England next week when the Patriots host the NFC’s Los Angeles Rams (4-7) and the Raiders host the AFC’s Buffalo Bills (6-5).
Game Ball: Oakland Raiders vs. Carolina Panthers
Game Ball is a weekly series that awards a “game ball” to the player of the game for the Oakland Raiders. This one is for Week 12 against the Panthers.