Game day: Raiders complete comeback win over Baltimore, 26-23

Score one for Gardner Minshew, as the Raiders just rode their underdog quarterback to a 26-23 upset win in Baltimore.

The Raiders ran for just 28 yards on the day at a clip of 1.6 yards per carry, but in the end it didn't matter, as Minshew made big throw after big throw to bring his team back from a double-digit deficit in the fourth quarter.

On the game-winning drive, Minshew converted a 2nd-and-5 by zinging a pass to tightly-covered tight end Michael Mayer at the Baltimore 27-yard line. From there the Raiders worked on the clock; a handoff to Zamir White forced the Ravens to use their final timeout, and two more White carries got the ball to the 25-yard line with 31 seconds to play.

Daniel Carlson came on and knocked through a 39-yard field goal to put the Raiders ahead with 27 seconds remaining.

Minshew finished 30-of-38 for 276 yards, with one touchdown and one interception. Davante Adams had 110 yards receiving and a touchdown, while Bowers enjoyed a breakout performance with nine catches on nine targets for 98 yards.

Las Vegas is now 1-1 on the season with a very winnable home game against the 0-2 Carolina Panthers set for next Sunday.

Raiders tied after late Minshew touchdown pass

Don't let Gardner Minshew get hot.

The Raiders journeyman quarterback is slinging now, and his 1-yard touchdown pass to Davante Adams has tied this game, 23-23, with 3:54 remaining in the fourth quarter.

Minshew has now completed 29-of-37 passes on the day for 268 yards. That's despite being sacked five times, and with the Raiders running game producing just 12 yards on the ground.

On the tying drive, Minshew hit Adams for 29 yards to get things going, then found Brock Bowers for gains of 15 and 11 yards. A pass interference in the end zone on a throw intended for Adams put the ball at the 1, and Minshew went right back to Adams on a slant to knot the score.

The Raiders have a real chance to steal this game. Baltimore has the ball and is facing a 3rd-and-19 from its own 21. A stop here would give Minshew a chance to be the hero.

Raiders trail in fourth quarter at Baltimore, 23-16

This game has suddenly turned into a shootout, with Las Vegas and Baltimore exchanging scores on the last three possessions. As things stand now, following Daniel Carlson's third field goal of the afternoon, the Raiders have pulled within 23-16 with 9:21 left in the fourth quarter.

Baltimore used a Derrick Henry 4-yard touchdown run to extend its lead to 23-13 with 12 minutes remaining. Needing to mount a scoring drive, Raiders quarterback Gardner Minshew zeroed in on top receiver Davante Adams, and he delivered a pair of big catches downfield. First Adams hauled in a 26-yard pass over the middle, then worked the sideline for a toe-tapping 30-yarder.

That set up the Raiders at the 9-yard line, but three ensuing plays went nowhere and Daniel Carlson came on to kick a 25-yard field goal.

Raiders find end zone, trim Baltimore lead to 16-13

The Raiders cashed in on Robert Spillane's interception, using an Alexander Mattison 1-yard touchdown run to trim Baltimore's lead to 16-13 at the end of the third quarter. 

The big play after the change of possession was a 27-yard pass from Gardner Minshew to rookie tight end Brock Bowers on 3rd-and-8. Minshew scrambled out of pressure on the play, bought time and found Bowers inside the 5. Bowers carried a gang of tacklers down to the 1, and Mattison did the honors on the next play to make it a one-possession game again.

Baltimore is currently driving, with a 1st-and-10 at the 50 as we set to open the fourth quarter.

Raiders trail at Baltimore, 16-6

The Ravens appeared to take command of this game coming out of the half, but an interception by Robert Spillane has given Las Vegas new life. With 6:08 remaining in the third quarter, the Raiders trail, 16-6, but are driving in Baltimore territory looking to inch closer.

Baltimore drove for a touchdown to open the third quarter, with Lamar Jackson finding Zay Flowers in the end zone on a short hookup to make it 16-6 in favor of the Ravens. With the way Las Vegas has been struggling to move the ball — the Raiders averaged 1.7 yards per play in the first half — that looked like it might be enough to call this game. Especially when the Raiders answered by driving into Baltimore territory, then failing to convert on a 4th-and-2 when Gardner Minshew's pass into the end zone was dropped by Davante Adams.

Baltimore took over looking for the nail in the coffin, but Jackson took a chance on a sidearm pass to the right side, and Spillane jumped it for a pick at the Baltimore 46 yard line.

Can Minshew and the offense take advantage? If not now, it might not happen at all today.

Defenses rule as Raiders trail Ravens at half, 9-6

Warning: Avert your eyes if you like competent offensive football.

If you're still reading, I hope you've got a strong stomach. Las Vegas and Baltimore combined for 24 rushing yards, just 218 total yards, and zero touchdowns in the first half, with the Ravens using three field goals to take a 9-6 lead into the locker room.

The Ravens passing game finally started clicking on the final drive of the half, as Lamar Jackson completed five passes for 53 yards to move his squad into field goal range; Justin Tucker connected on a 32-yarder with three seconds on the clock to give Baltimore the lead.

Offensively, the Raiders did nothing to write home about over the first 30 minutes. They gained a paltry 43 yards, at a clip of merely 1.7 yards per play. Though Gardner Minshew completed 14-of-16 passes, they went for just 64 yards, while three sacks lost 25 yards. On the ground, four Las Vegas rushers carried the ball six times for four yards. Minshew scrambled one time for -1 yard. It was ugly.

Can Las Vegas do something to inject life into the offense in the second half? The defense is doing yeoman's work to keep the game close, and it would be a shame to waste that effort when the team has an opportunity to steal a big road win.

Raiders tied with Ravens in second quarter, 3-3

The Las Vegas offense has finally shown some signs of life, and a long Daniel Carlson field goal has tied the score, 3-3, with 9:19 left in the second quarter.

The Raiders finally got something going on their fourth drive, as Gardner Minshew hit passes to his young tight ends to move the chains. First he fired a slant to rookie Brock Bowers for 42 yards, then he found Michael Mayer over the middle for 11 yards. Minshew sandwiched those around an 8-yard pass to Davante Adams, and the sequence got them close enough for Carlson to try a 52-yard field goal.

Carlson made the kick, and we are tied midway through the second quarter, as the Raiders defense has done a good job holding Lamar Jackson in check so far (4-of-5 passing, 37 yards).

Tough quarter for Raiders offense, Ravens lead 3-0

The Las Vegas offense has gained a total of eight yards across three drives, and at the end of the first quarter Baltimore holds a 3-0 lead.

The Raiders have punted three times and picked up just one first down, which came on drive No. 2, when they ran six plays and gained 10 yards. Gardner Minshew was sacked on third down due to a miscommunication on the offensive line.

As things stand, Las Vegas is averaging 0.7 yards per play.

Ravens take early 3-0 lead over Raiders

Midway through the first quarter, the teams have traded possessions and Baltimore has a 3-0 lead over the Raiders.

The Raiders' first drive was as bad as it gets. After receiving the opening kick, Gardner Minshew dropped back on first down and was sacked for a loss of eight yards. A second-down swing pass to Zamir White gained two yards, leaving Las Vegas in a 3rd-and-16. They called a handoff to Alexander Mattison, which went for two yards and brought out the punt team.

The Ravens moved across midfield on a 19-yard pass from Lamar Jackson to Zay Flowers, but Maxx Crosby stunted the drive by sacking Jackson on the next play. Baltimore eventually settled for a Justin Tucker field goal to start the scoring.

Las Vegas will try to build a better rhythm on its second drive. Avoiding a big loss on first down would help.

Raiders on the road to face AFC contender Baltimore

The Raiders announced their inactives for today's game at Baltimore, listing defensive end Tyree Wilson, rookie running back Dylan Laube, rookie cornerback Decamerion Richardson, receiver/return man Tyreik McAllister, safety Thomas Harper, rookie guard Jackson Powers-Johnson and receiver Ramel Keyton.

In Week 2, Raiders can flip the script or risk falling down a slippery slope

BALTIMORE — Confidence in the Raiders is waning after their offense never took off and their defense collapsed in the second half of a 22-10 Week 1 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers. But that could change in a hurry today if Las Vegas bounces back against one of the best teams in NFL.

The Raiders have a chance to make a statement against the Ravens. That’s exactly what they did the last time these two teams mets, as one of the franchise’s most memorable victories since moving to Las Vegas came Sept. 13, 2021, when hosting Baltimore on Monday Night Football.

In the first game with fans at Allegiant Stadium, Las Vegas halted now two-time Most Valuable Player/Baltimore quarterback Lamar Jackson in check just enough to win 33-27 in overtime. Edge rusher Maxx Crosby and nickelback Nate Hobbs are the only defensive players still on the Raiders’ roster that played in that game, but they’ll be among the most important players tasked with slowing Jackson and all his weapons once again.

Favorable matchup: Raiders’ defensive line vs. Ravens’ offensive line

Once considered a strength, Baltimore’s offensive line play is more of a question this year with three new starters protecting Jackson. Left tackle Ronnie Stanley, a Bishop Gorman graduate, remains a standout but not on the All-Pro level of five years ago with injuries having taken their toll. Center Tyler Linderbaum, the other returner, is also excellent but the Ravens were vulnerable in the interior overall during a season-opening 27-20 loss at the Chiefs. Prized freevagent signing running back Derrick Henry was routinely hit at the line of scrimmage and gained only 46 yards on 13 carries. The Raiders have lost a pair of defensive linemen to injury, Malcolm Koonce and Tyree Wilson, but the unit is still the strength of their team. New defensive tackle Christian Wilkins had a couple snaps he’d like back in the second half of the Chargers’ game but was dominant early. It was a similar day for Crosby. If Las Vegas can be more consistent up front, it could crack a Baltimore unit still searching for chemistry.

Problematic matchup: Ravens’ Hall of Fame-bound rushing duo vs. Raiders’ rush defense

Chargers running back J.K. Dobbins broke the two longest runs of the NFL’s Week 1 slate against the Raiders and finished with 135 yards on 10 carries. It was a continuation of a defending-the-run problem that lingered all preseason for the Raiders, who now must face the ultimate test. No team in the NFL has run the ball more effectively than the Ravens ever since Jackson became the starter late in the 2018 season. And now they have the force to match their quarterback’s flash after signing Henry, former Offensive Player of the Year and two-time rushing champion, in the offseason. While it looked like Baltimore hadn’t fully settled on how to best utilize Henry in its season-opener, Jackson was right back to his old ways with 122 rushing yards on 16 carries. Raiders defensive coordinator Patrick Graham said he was emphasizing assignment discipline this week, but acknowledged that might not even be enough. Jackson and Henry are talented enough to beat even the most perfectly-aligned defenses on their best days.

Gamebreaker: Linebacker Divine Deablo

The fourth-year linebacker was the Raiders’ worst-graded defensive starter in Week 1 by Pro Football Focus. He needs to bounce back in a big way against Baltimore because Las Vegas will likely be tasking him with some of its most important duties. For one, Deablo’s athleticism makes him the most natural choice for a spy on Jackson, whom he will need to limit from breaking into the open field in certain situations. But Deablo’s greatest asset is arguably his ability to hold his own in coverage, something that will also be crucial against Baltimore. The Ravens utilize tight ends heavily in their offense and now have one of the best duos in the league with third-year player Isaiah Likely emerging just as effective as perennial Pro Bowler Mark Andrews. Likely led the Ravens with 111 receiving yards on nine catches against the Chiefs, and was a toe away from hauling in a potential game-winning touchdown (pending a two-point conversion) as time expired. Deablo could be the one most responsible for momentarily disarming Likely’s ascent.

Big Number: 70

Raiders running back Zamir White rated No. 70 in PFF’s Week 1 running back grades, the worst among all players at the position in the NFL who logged at least 10 snaps. White had 13 carries for 44 yards and struggled to find many openings against the Los Angeles defense. A mediocre day from the offensive line didn’t help, but the statistical resource assigned most of the blame to White. Fellow running back Alexander Mattison wasn’t all that much better at No. 49, but he did have a 31-yard touchdown reception that featured a highlight hurdle and drew praise from Raiders coach Antonio Pierce for his pass protection. White was expected to carry the bulk of the running back load coming into the season, but that’s starting to change, as Mattison actually played 13 more snaps than him against the Chargers. Pierce and offensive coordinator Luke Getsy painted the discrepancy as game-specific and not necessarily something that will continue, but how they divvy up the running back workload is something to watch against the Ravens.

Best Bet (1-0): Mark Andrews over 38.5 receiving yards

The seventh-year pro out of Oklahoma had just two catches for 14 yards against the Chiefs, and questions have ensued about whether Likely has unseated him as Jackson’s go-to tight end target. It all feels like a classic Week 1 overreaction. Buy low on Andrews. This is the shortest receiving yards number he’s had attached to his name in years at sportsbooks. Going into the Chiefs game, Andrews’ over/under was set at 48.5. Going into a Week 11 game against the Bengals last year — the last time Andrews was healthy before suffering a serious ankle injury — it was set at 59.5. Don’t write him off yet; Andrews needs a couple more subpar games before there’s any real concern about a decline.