The Oakland Raiders could not overcome turnovers and a stifling pass rush as they fell to the Cincinnati Bengals on the road.
From the start of the first quarter it was a chess match between the Raiders and Bengals and the defense was at the forefront of battle. Both teams were the victims of subsequent three-and-outs on their initial drives, but turnovers proved to be the tipping point. Cincinnati’s defense forced two key fumbles for recovery in the first half, one on Derek Carr and the other on Jalen Richard.
With two fumble recoveries that offered better field position, it was only a matter of time before the Bengals took advantage to put points on the board. Jeff Driskel and Tyler Boyd connected early to give the Bengals a 7-0 lead at the onset of the game, and they were simultaneously aided by Joe Mixon in the running game, who had 84 yards rushing along with a touchdown in the first half alone.
Oakland struggled with Cincinnati’s pass rush early and often, though the Raiders managed to break the first half drought as tight end Lee Smith hauled in his third straight touchdown catch in three games to head into the locker room at halftime down 20-7.
In the second half it was a stalemate between both offenses unable to find the end zone. Advantage went to the Raiders in this scenario, as the defense helped stifle the Bengals while Daniel Carlson helped chip away at the deficit, at one point putting the game within reach 20-13.
In the end the turnovers, a stifling pass rush, and deficit was too much for the Raiders to overcome, as Joe Mixon helped put the game out of reach and away effectively for the 30-16 win.