Final Score: Raiders 26 Ravens 23
What Happened?
The Las Vegas Raiders managed to send the Ravens home with a second loss to their name after a surprising Week 2 victory. Vegas was dusted by Baltimore in several important counting stats including total yards (383 to 263), yards per play (6.1 to 4.3) and rushing yards (151 to only 27). Lamar Jackson and the Ravens dominated the Raiders on paper, but still came away with the loss.
Upon inspection, Baltimore gave this game away. Having the massive edge in total yards is good; having the massive edge in penalty yards is not. The Ravens committed 11 penalties in this Week 2 contest, handing over a whopping 109 yards in the process. Las Vegas was disciplined, only surrendering 15 yards on 3 total penalties. 109 yards equates to around 1.5 trips down the field assuming drives start at the 30 yard-line. It’s extremely difficult for a team to win while giving up that many free yards. Baltimore’s lack of discipline cost them this game.
Though the Ravens continuously shot themselves in the foot, the Raiders still had to take advantage. One area where Vegas outplayed Baltimore was in the defensive trenches. They sacked Lamar Jackson 5 times while Raider QB Gardner Minchew only went down twice.
To give them credit, the Raiders stuck around long enough against a more talented team and were able to put together some massive drives at the end of the game. After allowing a touchdown with 12:11 left in the 4th quarter, the defense forced two straight three-and-outs, allowing Minchew and the offense to chip away and erase a 10-point deficit. Minchew, WR Davante Adams, and TE Brock Bowers stood up on the team’s final possession, leading the offense 70 yards down the field in their longest drive of the game.
Players of the Game
Maxx Crosby
As is the case in most Raiders victories, Maxx Crosby was the most impactful player. The superstar defensive end racked up 4 pressures (the team had 8 in total) and tracked down Lamar Jackson for 2 sacks, the only 2 Raiders sacks of the game.
Not only does Crosby put up the numbers, he makes plays when they are needed most. His second sack came on 1st and 10 with 3:54 left in the 4th quarter. The game was tied at this point. The sack led to a Baltimore 3-and-out and a quick punt. The Raiders (unexpectedly) got the ball back with still over 2 minutes remaining and were able to put together a drive that resulted in the game-winning field goal. Crosby’s clutch sack set it all up.
Davante Adams
Raiders receiver Davante Adams also had a fantastic game, putting up 110 yards on 9 receptions. Like Crosby, he showed up on Sunday when his team needed him the most. Adams kicked off Vegas’ massive 4th quarter touchdown drive with a 29-yard catch. He proceeded to draw an integral pass interference call on 3rd and goal from the 17-yard-line, and then immediately reeled in a 1-yard touchdown, knotting the score at 23. He is a superstar and played like it this week
Brock Bowers
Rookie tight end Brock Bowers also deserves recongintion after a stellar performance this week. The 13th overall pick nabbed 98 receiving yards on Sunday on 9 catches. Just over 30 of his yards came in Vegas’ 4th quarter touchdown drive. Only 2 games into his NFL career, Bowers is already a force to be reckoned with.
What Does It Mean?
Though the Ravens put up the stats this week, they came away with another loss. They now sit at 0-2 with upcoming dates with Dallas, Buffalo, and Cincinnati. This is a brutal stretch of games, but Baltimore has put themselves into a position where they need to come away from it with 1 or 2 wins. They still are a really good team, but need to clean up the penalties and start stacking wins.
As for the Raiders, this is an encouraging win. They stuck around for long enough to strike at the end. The offense has real potential with Minchew and Adams, especially if Brock Bowers keeps improving.