For the second consecutive week, the Las Vegas Raiders pulled out a road overtime victory. This time, it came via a 40-34 thriller against the Seattle Seahawks in the Pacific Northwest.
After getting a third-down stop and forcing a punt in overtime, quarterback Derek Carr and the offense were back on the field for their second possession of the extra period to start the drive on their own 14-yard line.
Carr, who made an audible before the ball was snapped, handed it off to running back Josh Jacobs for the 33rd time and streaked down the field for a walk-off 86-yard touchdown.
Jacobs said his breakthrough run was a testament to the offensive line blocking, including fullback Jakob Johnson.
“When I hit the gap, I saw Jakob got a big block and I just saw a big hole. I ran as fast as I can,” said Jacobs, who recorded the longest the play of his career to give his team its fourth win of the season.
Here are four instant reactions from the Las Vegas Raiders’ 13th overtime victory in their last 15 opportunities dating back to 2008.
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Josh Jacobs outduels Kenneth Walker in strong running back matchup
Jacobs, who scored the game-winning touchdown, was doing it all from the opening snap as he went up one of the favorites for NFC Offensive Rookie of the Year in Seattle’s Kenneth Walker III.
The Raiders’ defense clogged up Walker, containing him to 26 yards on 14 carries.
It was a record-setting day for Jacobs, recording career-highs 33 carries for 229 yards. His 229 rushing yards set a franchise record after passing the record set back in 1997 when Nap Kauffman totaled 227 yards in a home game versus Denver.
The 24-year-old was also a force in the passing game, recording six receptions for a co-team high 74 yards on seven targets.
As a result, Jacobs totaled 303 yards from the line of scrimmage. He became the fourth player in the Super Bowl Era and first since Adrian Peterson in 2007 to record at least 300 scrimmage yards and two touchdowns in a game.
Lastly, Jacobs also reached 1,000 rushing yards for the season on Sunday afternoon.
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Both of Jacobs’ touchdowns on Sunday came on the opening plays of a drive as the first was a 30-yard scamper to the end zone after Raiders linebacker Denzel Perryman recorded an interception of Geno Smith.
McDaniels, who was unsure if Jacobs was going to play Sunday after dealing with a calf issue on Friday, said his output is the epitome of this team finding the resolve and grit to pull off the Raiders first win in Seattle since 1998.
“Yeah, I’m running out of superlatives,” McDaniels said of Jacobs after the game. “Over 300 total yards in the game and it didn’t feel perfect, but I think toughness. He’s a football player. That’s probably the greatest compliment I could give him and he comes up big.”
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Complimentary football benefits Las Vegas Raiders’ passing attack
In the passing game, the Seahawks continue to contain wide receiver Davante Adams. Although Carr did not have his top pass catcher to the volume he had last week with 17 targets, Carr took that with a grain of salt.
The 30-year-old play caller completed 25-of-36 passes and three touchdowns with two interceptions as he found seven different pass catchers, including Jacobs.
Among Las Vegas’ top two receiving options, Adams recorded seven receptions for 74 yards, Mack Hollins caught four balls for 63 yards and a touchdown. Running back Ameer Abdullah and Foster Moreau each had three receptions and a touchdown.
McDaniels said Adams still plays a role on each snap even if the ball is not thrown to him.
“A lot of times when they cover him with two guys, that’s what opens up the Foster Moreaus, the Josh Jacobs, Keelan Cole, Mack Hollins,” McDaniels said. “The flea flicker had Mack open and there’s multiple guys running with Davante. He has an impact on the game almost every game.”
Las Vegas Raiders take advantage of completing third downs
One of the keys to this win was the ability to convert third downs offensively and gets stops on third down on defense.
The Raiders, who have not been the best at keeping drives alive and settling for the specialists this season, were a different story, completing 8-of-14 of its third downs, including Moreau’s touchdown catch on third-and-goal to tie the score with less than two minutes remaining in regulation.
Being able to execute on third downs on both sides of the ball was crucial to benefitting every aspect for the Silver and Black for the present and the future.
“A lot of guys are trying to make plays in the critical moments. When you play a game like this, you’re going to need complimentary football to win. All three phases are going to have to contribute somehow, some way,” Las Vegas Raiders head coach Josh McDaniels said.
“Each man that’s active on gameday is going to have to do his job. I think we’re learning how to do that well as a team and we have a long way to go.”
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Crosby & Perryman fuel defense, record 3 sacks and an interception
The Raiders had to combat a strong Seahawks offense and was able to stay with them in high-scoring affair.
Both teams took their punches early and often as the game seesawed back and forth before Jacobs sealed the game in overtime. There were three ties and three lead changes in this matchup that saw both teams score, highlighted by 27 points between the Seahawks and Raiders in the second quarter.
But both defenses had their moments, too. In addition to Perryman’s interception, defensive end Chandler Jones recovered a fumble and safety Duron Harmon nearly had a pick in the endzone, but was the referees ruled the play incomplete.
It was not only Perryman who shined defensively for Las Vegas as he recorded a team-high nine tackles, two tackles for loss and a pass deflection.
Defensive end Maxx Crosby, who recorded four tackles, 1.5 sacks, one tackle for loss and six quarterback hits, said seeing Perry record his first interception of the season was well earned.
“He works so hard. He battles through a ton of stuff, battles a ton of injuries, but he never backs down, especially in those big-time moments,” Crosby said. “At the end, he was cramping or something and I looked at him. I was like, ‘Denzel, you’re not leaving the game.’ He shook his head and we got him off the field and that was it.”
In addition to Crosby’s 1.5 sacks, defensive tackle Bilal Nichols teamed up with the Condor and another defensive tackle in Andrew Billings also recorded a sack.