Minshew makes his mark in leading Raiders to comeback win

BALTIMORE — Is Minshew Mania about to sweep Las Vegas?

The Raiders got their first good look at what quarterback Gardner Minshew can do when he gets hot, as the journeyman rallied the Silver and Black to a 26-23 comeback win at Baltimore on Sunday.

Minshew, a seventh-year veteran who signed with Las Vegas in the offseason, tossed a game-tying touchdown pass to Davante Adams with four minutes remaining, and after the Raiders got a defensive stop, Minshew led the offense on a game-winning drive that ended with a Daniel Carlson field goal with 27 seconds on the clock.

The Raiders came into the day as a double-digit underdog, but after Minshew’s heroics they find themselves sitting at 1-1 with a very winnable home game next weekend against the Carolina Panthers.

Can the Raiders keep it going? After leading the offense to scores on their final four drives, Minshew believes they can. 

“It felt great, man,” Minshew said. “That’s what it can be. And that’s the challenge, to be consistent with that. I look forward to continuing to build on that momentum. I think everybody feels pretty great about it. The tale of the tape is coming up; we’re going to do that, but I think everybody feels and believes in what we can be as an offense.”

The first half was a different story, as Las Vegas sputtered into the locker room with six points after averaging a paltry 1.7 yards per play. The running game was particularly unproductive, generating just four yards on seven carries.

The defense kept it close through the first 30 minutes. Defensive end Maxx Crosby recorded a sack and three tackles for loss in the first half, spearheading an effort that held Baltimore to three field goals and a slim 9-6 lead.

The Ravens opened a 23-13 lead with 12 minutes left in the fourth quarter when Derrick Henry took a direct snap and barreled into the end zone for a 3-yard touchdown. When Minshew was sacked for a 10-yard loss to start the ensuing drive, the Raiders’ win probability dropped to 9.6%.

From that point on, Minshew caught fire and brought the team along for the ride. With help from receiver Davante Adams, who made several circus catches, and rookie tight end Brock Bowers, who proved uncoverable for much of the day, Minshew completed 9-of-13 passes for 131 yards and a touchdown.

With four minutes remaining, Adams drew a pass-interference penalty in the end zone, then caught a 1-yard slant from Minshew for a touchdown on the very next play to tie the score at 23-23. 

Baltimore’s ensuing drive went 3-and-out after Crosby sacked Lamar Jackson for a loss of nine yards on first down. The punt was shanked and traveled just 24 yards, setting up Minshew for a relatively easy go-ahead drive.

On 2nd-and-2, Minshew fired an 8-yard pass to tight end Michael Mayer to move the chains. Already in field-goal range, the next three plays were handoffs intended to force Baltimore to burn its remaining timeouts. On fourth down, Daniel Carlson booted a 38-yard field goal to give Las Vegas its first lead of the day.

Baltimore’s final desperation drive ended with a fumble on a multiple-lateral play, and the Raiders notched their first victory since Antonio Pierce was named as the full-time head coach.

Pierce credited Minshew and his pass-catchers for coming through time and time again down the stretch.

“The quarterback did a heck of a job,” Pierce said. “Playing pitch and catch with one of the best receivers in the game, and a young rookie really stood out today, Brock Bowers. I thought it was a really good job of our guys being resilient, having a hard-hat mentality and keeping their composure.”

The defense also earned praise from Pierce after holding a unit led by the NFL’s reigning MVP to zero points on its final three drives. Crosby was the star, finishing with 6.0 tackles, 2.0 sacks and 4.0 tackles for loss, and linebacker Robert Spillane also came up with a key interception to begin the second half.

Adams was quiet for most of the game but exploded late, once Minshew settled in and began feeding him the ball. Adams caught nine passes for 110 yards and a touchdown, while Bowers enjoyed a breakout game with nine catches (on nine targets) for 98 yards.

Adams’ most acrobatic gain came on a 30-yarder down the left sideline that saw him turn and extend over the boundary, snagging the ball with two hands while keeping both feet planted inbounds. Baltimore challenged the ruling of a completed catch, but an official review upheld the call.

That highlight play led to a field goal and prompted Minshew to keep feeding his top target.

“Just throw him the ball when he’s 1-on-1,” Minshew said. “Shoot, that dude makes you right. Even a couple times getting pass interferences or whatever, those are huge plays for our offense. So being able to get him opportunities to get his hands on the ball is going to be very important for us.”

Minshew finished 30-of-38 for 276 yards with one touchdown and one interception while being sacked five times. He shouldered most of the offensive load, as the run game produced only 27 yards on 17 carries (1.6 yards per attempt).

Mike Grimala can be reached at 702-948-7844 or [email protected]. Follow Mike on Twitter at twitter.com/mikegrimala.