Raiders Today

Las Vegas Raiders vs. Buffalo Bills Game Thread

This is the official Sports Illustrated's Raider Maven game thread for Las Vegas Raiders versus the Buffalo Bills.
Hondo Carpenter|
Las Vegas Raiders vs. Buffalo Bills Game Thread
Las Vegas Raiders vs. Buffalo Bills Game Thread

Henderson, Nev. -- The Las Vegas Raiders (2-1) are at home today to take on the Buffalo Bills (3-0) in what should be an excellent ball game.

The Buffalo Bills have the top young quarterback in the National Football League and are an underrated playoff team.  They can beat you in a shoot out or a defensive battle.  They may be the best team the Raiders have faced so far this season.

The Raiders have many reasons to be optimistic.  Certainly, they are beaten up, but they are not down.  They could see a return of several key players return.  Getting back home, even with no fans in the stands is a big deal as well.

What remains is a well-coached Bills team that has adapted to the new quarterback's skill set, and has a terrific leader in Sean McDermott.   Buffalo is not a mistake-proof team.  But they are very well-coached and conditioned and they have the talent to overcome mistakes.

Please make sure as the game progresses today that you join us in the comment sections with your thoughts on the contest. We will be posting constant updates right here in this article, so keep refreshing the page for the latest from here at the Death Star.

How to watch or listen to the Las Vegas Raiders versus the Buffalo Bills Today?

TV: CBS 4:25 ET/1:00 PT

Radio: Raider Nation Radio

Odds: BUF-3.5

COIN TOSS: Raiders win the coin toss. The Silver and Black defer. Bills will receive the ball in the first half.

PENALTY UPDATE: 13:37 left in the first quarter - Neural zone infraction by Defensive end Maxx Crosby. Five-yard penalty. Third down Bills.

INJURY UPDATE: 10:58 left in the first quarter - Safety Lamarcus Joyner is shaken up on the play and is walking to the sideline using his own power.

SCORING UPDATE #1: Rookie Wide Receiver Gabriel Davis cruises in for the 26-yard touchdown. PAT is Good. Bills lead early, 7-0.

INJURY UPDATE: 8:18 left in the first quarter - Cornerback Levi Davis for the Bills is injured on the field.

SCORING UPDATE #2: 5:02 left in the first quarter - Placekicker Daniel Carlson ties his career-high for the third time this season, drilling a 54-yard field goal. Bills still led 7-3.

PENALTY UPDATE: 4:55 left in the first quarter - Holding called on Stefon Diggs. A 10-yard penalty on the Bills. Repeat first down.

PENALTY UPDATE: 4:04 left in the first quarter - Roughing the passer called on Hankins. 15-yard penalty. First down Bills.

INJURY UPDATE: 0:52 left in the first quarter - Safety Johnathan Abram is injured on the field. He made a huge tackle earlier this possession.

END OF FIRST QUARTER - Bills lead 7-3 after one. Ball on Las Vegas 11-yard line. 2nd and seven coming up for the Bills after the break.

SCORING UPDATE #3: 14:53 left in the half - Wide Receiver Cole Beasley catches an 11-yard pass for a touchdown. PAT is Good. Bills lead the Raiders 14-3.

INJURY UPDATE: During the touchdown play, Safety Lamarcus Joyner is injured on the field again. He walks off the field on his own power.

PENALTY UPDATE: 13:36 left in the half - Offside called on Bills Jerry Hughes. The penalty is declined. First down Raiders on Buffalo 49 yard line.

PENALTY UPDATE: 13:08 left in the half - Tight end Foster Moreau is called for an illegal formation. The 49-yard touchdown pass to Agholor is negated. Five-yard penalty. Raiders first down.

TIMEOUT #1 Raiders - 11:51 left to go in the half. 3rd and six coming up on Buffalo 44 yard line.

SCORING UPDATE #4 - 9:38 left to go in the half - Carlson through the up-right for a 39-yard field goal. Bills lead 14-6.

PENALTY UPDATE: 8:37 left in the first half - Unnecessary roughness called on Defensive end Arden Key. 15-yard penalty. Automatic first down.

INJURY UPDATE: Bills wide receiver Cole Beasley is questionable to return, citing a foot injury.

TIMEOUT #2 Raiders - 4:58 left to go in the half.

SCORING UPDATE #5 - 4:13 left to go - 34-yard field goal attempt by Bass is good. Bills lead 17-6.

INJURY UPDATE - After the third-down backflip throw by Allen, he jogs off the field and is taken into the locker room to get a look at his hand.

INJURY UPDATE- Safety Lamarcus Joyner is questionable to return (ribs).

TWO MINUTE WARNING - Bills lead 17-6. Raiders ball on Buffalo 41 yard line. 1st down Las Vegas.

INJURY UPDATE: Bills cornerback Levi Wallace has been ruled OUT with a left ankle injury.

INJURY UPDATE: Bills quarterback Josh Allen is back on the bench.

SCORING UPDATE #6 - Tight end Jason Witten catches a three-yard pass in the endzone. PAT is good. Bills lead 17-13.

END OF FIRST HALF - Bills lead 17-13. Raiders will receive the ball in the second half.

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HALFTIME REPORT

It was another interesting half by the Raiders.

The Silver and Black rushing defense are similar to how they played last week, if not arguably a little worse…

Safety Lamarcus Joyner left the game early with a hand injury. Luckily for the Raiders, Joyner returned to the field on the next possession but eventually got reinjured. He is now questionable to return.

But the issue is, the one play Joyner missed turned out to be a touchdown for the Bills. As Amik Robertson substitutes in for Joyner, he allows an easy 26-yard touchdown by the Bills.

In the second possession, Johnathan Abram had a HUGE hit but got injured a mere two plays later. The Silver and Black are struggling to stay healthy. Abram did return to the field on the next possession.

While the Raiders shifted from a man to zone defense in the second possession, the Bills have still been able to get down the field.

Regardless, quarterback Josh Allen has been able to hustle down the field without question. In the first half, he went 15 for 20 with 152 passing yards. He threw for two touchdowns. Even with pressure, he’ll either throw the ball away and reset for a quick ground play or throw a quick slant route.

The Bills had a brief scare as Allen was taken into the Bills locker room after a backhand throw to gain a couple of extra yards. He returned to the bench a few minutes later.

The other issue is the missed tackles by the Silver and Black defense. Bills Singletary would be right in front of a Raiders defender and the Silver and Black fail to tackle him. It’s not a single-player but multiple players on the field missing tackles. Wide-open tackles must happen. Period.

It wasn’t that different for the Las Vegas offense either.

On the first possession for the Raiders, Carr missed twice to wide receiver Hunter Renfrow and depended on running back Josh Jacobs to move the chains.

Jacobs has been working the ground game, albeit not as successful as past games. He’s rushed 24 yards in the first half in eight attempts. It’s been a mix of Jacobs stuffed up and Jacobs finding the pockets on the outside.

With the absence of both wide receivers Henry Ruggs III and Bryan Edwards, Zay Jones has been Carr’s favorable go-to target today.

With that said, Carr’s first long pass to wide receiver Nelson Agholor, a 49-yard shot, was negated by an illegal formation by tight end Foster Moreau.

While the Raiders have had a couple of opportunities to get in the end zone, including a wide-open pass to tight end Darren Waller that was a hair too high, the second possession resulted in a 39-yard field goal by the Silver and Black.

As almost customary from the Raiders this season, within the final two minutes of the first half, Las Vegas hustled from the Buffalo 41-yard line to the endzone.

Although the Silver and Black offense scored a touchdown at the end of the half and have been able to create opportunities, they need to clean up their finishing.

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START OF SECOND HALF

PENALTY UPDATE: 13:05 left in the third quarter - Ineligible receiver down the field called on Colton Miller.

SCORING UPDATE #7: 8:36 left in the third quarter - Carlson kicks the football through the upright. Bills lead 17-16.

PENALTY UPDATE - 5:37 left in the third quarter - Holding called on Bills Williams. 10-yard penalty. First down Raiders.

INJURY UPDATE - Defensive tackle Johnathan Hankins was injured on the play.

INJURY UPDATE - Wide Receiver Cole Beasley has returned to the game.

INJURY UPDATE - Raiders cornerback Nevin Lawson was shaken up on the play. It seems like it's a left foot injury. He is walking off the field on his own power.

PENALTY UPDATE -  0:26 left in the third quarter - Holding called on Raiders Joyner. The penalty is declined. First down Buffalo.

INJURY UPDATE - Defensive tackle Maliek Collins is questionable to return with a shoulder injury. 

END OF THIRD QUARTER - Bills lead 17-16.

CHALLENGE - Bills challenge wide receiver John Brown's catch for a touchdown. Ruling on the field Is the ball is short. Bills fail the challenge. Ruling on the field stands, Just short of the goal line.

SCORING UPDATE - 14:49 left in the game - Quarterback Josh Allen rushes in for a one-yard touchdown. PAT is No Good. Bills lead 23-16.

CHALLENGE - Jon Gruden challenges the incompletion call on the play. The call is overturned. Gruden keeps his timeout.

PENALTY UPDATE - 13:27 left in the game - Illegal block in the back. Tackle Colton Miller. 10-yard penalty. Remains Raiders first down.

INJURY UPDATE - 12:53 left in the game - Bills Milano is shaken up on the last play. Milano leaves the field. Raiders Josh Jacobs is also shaken up. Jacobs remains on the field.

TURNOVER -  12:28 left in the game - Bills Josh Norman forces a fumble from tight end Darren Waller. Bills football on its own 40-yard line.

SCORING UPDATE #9 - 11:17 left to go in regulation - Bills Singletary rushes for a two-yard touchdown. PAT is Good. Bills lead 30-16.

TURNOVER - 9:47 left to go in regulation - Running back Josh Jacobs is short of the first down. Ball is turned over on downs. Ball on Las Vegas 34 yard line.

PENALTY UPDATE - 9:00 left to go in regulation - Holding called against Bills Ford. 10-yard penalty. Remains first down.

PENALTY UPDATE - 5:40 left in regulation - Roughing the passer Bill Jefferson, Unnecessary roughness for Raiders Jacobs. Penalties offset.

TURNOVER - Carr is sacked by Jefferson, fumbles in the process. Buffalo recovers the football. Ball on Buffalo 38-yard line. 

PENALTY UPDATE - 3:47 left in the game - False start Dodson. Five-yard penalty. Remains Bills fourth down.

PENALTY UPDATE - 3:31 left in the game - Illegal block in the back by Raiders Cory Littleton.

PENALTY UPDATE - 2:56 left in the game - Pass interference on Bills Jordan Poyer. It is a 46-yard penalty. Ball is placed at the spot of the foul.

TWO MINUTE WARNING - Bills lead 30-16. Raiders with the football on opponent 13 yard-line. Raiders have two timeouts remaining.

SCORING UPDATE #10 - 1:29 left to go in regulation - Wide receiver Nelson Agholor catches the seven-yard reception for the touchdown. PAT is Good. Bills lead 30-23.

ON-SIDE KICK ATTEMPT - 1:29 left to go in regulation - Bills recover the on-side kick attempt.

FINAL - Bills defeat the Raiders 30-23 in Las Vegas. Bills improve to 4-0 on the season. Raiders are now 2-2 on the season.

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Hondo Carpenter
HONDO CARPENTER

Hondo S. Carpenter Sr. is an award-winning sports journalist with decades of experience. He serves as the Senior Writer for NFL and College sports, and is the beat writer covering the Las Vegas Raiders. Additionally, he is the editor and publisher for several sites On SI. Carpenter is a member of the Pro Football Writers Association (PFWA), the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA), and the United States Basketball Writers Association (USBWA).

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