#5 Joshua Jacobs scores on opening drive
Some critics have wondered when Joshua Jacobs would step up his game, and he responded Sunday night by running in for a touchdown on the game’s opening drive. It took a combination of a few good runs by Jacobs and a key pass by Carr, but seeing the team put points on the board within minutes was exciting.
It proved that Jacobs is no push-off and could end up being the best running back in the NFL this season. The team s upcoming opponents have some of the worst run games in the league. This means that scoring and racking up yards should be a relative breeze.
#4 Derek Carr connects with Nelson Agholor for a touchdown
Derek Carr has had countless critics this season scream that he isn t the Raiders’ future, but he proved them wrong on Sunday. Sure, Carr didn t win the game and was even stopped from scoring a touchdown during the game’s final drive, but he gave the defending Super Bowl champions a run for their money.
In fact, Derek Carr had no problem getting into the end zone in seven plays and even capped everything off with a 17-yard pass to Nelson Agholor. The score put the Raiders up 14-7 and was a sure-fire sign that the offensive was ready to go on Sunday Night. Interestingly enough, this would be the first of many touchdowns for Carr.
#3 Trayvon Mullens intercepts Patrick Mahomes
There are few things sweeter than picking off a Super Bowl-winning quarterback, and Trayvon Mullen got to experience that joy during Sunday s game. Mahones’ pass was intended for Demarcus Robinson, but Mullen was able to grab it out of thin air before being tackled. While the Raiders would not score due to time running out in the first half, it was still a nice nod to the defense.
Keep in mind that this is a defense that has cracked under pressure quite a few times this season, and you start to appreciate some of what the team was able to do tonight. Again, they didn t win and now will have to fight their way into the playoffs, but if the defense keeps performing like that, it should not be too much of a problem.
#2 Derek Carr finds Hunter Renfrow in the endzone for a score
Another big criticism of Derek Carr is that he does not perform well under pressure, but he looked absolutely ice-cold during the third quarter. In fact, Carr ended up slicing his way through the defense and eventually found Hunter Renfrow in the end zone for a two-yard touchdown. This put the Raiders up 28-21, and was a part of what was supposed to be a comeback.
Spoiler alert, the comeback didn t happen, but if Carr can perform this well against last year s Super Bowl Champions, then he is a lot better than previously thought. He also has an offense that can get down the field anytime they want, which should be interesting to watch in the season’s final six game stretch.
#1 Derek Carr comes up clutch with with touchdown pass to Jason Witten
Who remembers Jason Witten? While some might see him as the ex-Dallas Cowboys star and Monday Night Football commentator, he was also a key player in Sunday s game. Carr connected with Witten late in the game to put the Raiders up 31-28, and it was almost enough to defeat their division rival a second time.
Unfortunately for the Raiders, luck had other plans, and the Chiefs ended up scoring one more time to secure the game.
