NFL – Week 4 (Thursday Night)
Oakland Raiders, 41 – Seattle Seahawks, 31
Oakland is in the enviable position of having three game-ready quarterbacks on staff. This evening’s outing demonstrated that their #2 (rookie Derek Carr) was capable of going up against the former Super Bowl champs and making the plays necessary for a win. The Raiders, now at 2-2 going into the regular season, refused to disappoint the home crowd by winning both of their preseason home games.
The Seahawks thought everything was going to plan with QB Russell Wilson’s TD pass to Luke Wilson less than two minutes into the game (Steven Hauschka’s extra point was good), but then the unexpected happened. Not only did the Raiders respond in kind, they pushed the envelope with two additional first quarter touchdowns (and three good extra points by Giorgio Tavecchio). At 7:05, it was Latavius Murray with a 5-yard TD run. Then at 6:10, a 36-yard pass from Derek Carr to Denarius Moore. Finally a nose-holding, behind kicking, 20-yard pass from Derek Carr to Mychal Rivera with just six seconds left to give the Silver and Black a 21-7 lead.
Oakland stretched that frenzied momentum into the second quarter with a 61-yard drive culminating in an 11-yard pass from Derek Carr to Denarius Moore (and Tavecchio extra point) to push their lead to 21 points. Coach Dennis Allen chose to swap out Carr in favor of #3 QB Matt McGloin and, unintentionally, killed the offensive momentum. Perhaps it was the omen of Seattle’s DeShawn Shead’s 54-yard interception for a touchdown that should have been read as a sign. But aside from one 15-yard pass from McGloin to Brice Butler with 1:50 remaining in the second quarter (35-14 Raiders), it would be field goals only that would add to Oakland’s final total.
Of Note: Former Raider’s QB Terrelle Pryor was offered the Seahawks’ reins late in the second quarter and managed an 87-yard drive capped off with a 33-yard touchdown pass to Phil Bates with 8 second left. Coup was counted in accordance with custom. Score at the half: 35-21 Raiders.
If there was any first half momentum generated on Seattle’s part, it evaporated in the halftime locker room. A late touchdown with 4:30 left in the fourth quarter was all Seattle had left. Backup QB B.J. Daniels did put together a spirited 91-yard drive capped off with a 7-yard TD pass to Bryan Walters, but time was not on his side. The Seahawks’s final drive – which began after the two minute warning – was filled with incomplete passes. Oakland had only to “kneel it out” to finalize the win.
