Raiders hang in with the Lions in the first half
As has been the case most of the season, the Raiders defense was spectacular in the first half. After multiple huge plays from Maxx Crosby and a fumble recovery by Robert Spillane who is always around the ball, the unit held the Lions to just nine points for most of the half.
Unfortunately, they were just on the field for far too long due to more incompetence from Jimmy Garoppolo and the Raiders offense.
Garoppolo would finish the half just 3/9 and increased his league-leading interception total to nine. A number made even more egregious when you consider he has missed two and a half games.
Furthermore, all of Davante Adams, Jakobi Meyers and Michael Mayer had no catches in the first half. Simply an unacceptable outcome for an offense trying to find its footing and is somehow unable to get its best players the ball.
Finally, the Raiders running game was able to get going near the end of the half as Jacobs punched it in for a touchdown on a drive that he alone carried the offense. Alas, at the end of the half, the Lions finally got a huge play on a stingy Raiders defense when rookie Sam Laporta caught a touchdown in the final seconds to give the Lions and 16-7 lead at halftime.