#5 The doomed kick
Yes, we have to talk about the missed field goal at the beginning of the game. Not only is this because it became a meme on the internet almost immediately afterward, but also because of how much work Derek Carr and company had to do to put them in that position.
Daniel Carlson tried to get three on the board with a 41-yard field goal, but it got caught in the wind and veered right after hitting the upright. Not good luck for the Raiders, but at least they won the game.
#4 The fumble
Believe it or not, the Las Vegas Raiders showed some teeth and recovered a fumble late during the first half of the game, which really helped shift the momentum in their favor. While the Raiders ultimately wouldn t get to capitalize on it and punted the ball away three plays later, Nickolas Morrow s recovery was awesome.
#3 Holding the browns to a Field goal in the third quarter
It s no secret that the Las Vegas Raiders have been subpar when it comes to defense, and some thought that would lead to Baker Mayfield blowing them out in Sunday s game. That didn t end up happening, though, and the defense forced them to a field goal after 14 plays and seven minutes of being moved down the field.
This is a defense that needed victories, and they got a few of them here. Whether that continues or not remains to be seen, but at least they showed signs of life.
#2 Forcing Cleveland to kick a field goal
Again, this defense showed teeth throughout this entire game, but this was probably the best example. In fact, between backing up Cleveland due to a penalty and knocking down three pass plays from Baker Mayfield, the Raiders proved to be on an elite level. Hopefully, that continues into the next couple of weeks, but who knows with this up and down defense.
#1 Derek Carr to Hunter Renfrow for a touchdown
While the argument could be made that Derek Carr and the offense were inefficient in establishing dominance during the game, they did come away with a win against an elite team. Now, it wasn t a pretty win by any means necessary and is sure to have people second-guessing Derek Carr, but a four-yard throw to Hunter Renfrow at least put the game away 16-6.
