Cleveland Browns at Oakland Raiders: 5 takeaways from Week 4

The Oakland Raiders picked up their first win of the 2018 NFL season on Sunday, and here are five takeaways from the 45-42 overtime victory.

Heartbreak was the theme of the Oakland Raiders’ 0-3 start to the season, but they finally found themselves on the right side of a nailbiter. It took overtime, but the Raiders got their first victory of the season in 45-42 shootout over the Cleveland Browns

There is a lot to digest from this game both good and bad, but here a few of the main takeaways I had from the game

Big Plays on Defense

The defense is still wildly flawed, but the difference in Sunday’s game was the turnovers they were able to create. Starting with the pick-six by Gareon Conley early in the first quarter for the game’s opening points. Add two fumbles that lead to quick scoring drives for the offense, and you have 21 of the 45 Raider points coming off turnovers. Even the human punching bag Reggie Nelson was able to get a pick late in the fourth quarter to help force overtime.

They gave up 42 points to the Browns, and they are likely going to be a below average defense for most of the season. However, the way they can make a positive impact especially in the second half is by forcing turnovers. In 2016 the defense was overall still pretty bad, but they ranked 2nd in the league in takeaways. That’s going to have to be the formula in 2018 if the team has any chance of turning things around.