Just Won Baby: Raiders Down Browns 16-14
Daniel Carlson saved the season for the Las Vegas Raiders.
Carlson kicked a 48-yard field goal with no time left, and the Raiders snapped a two-game losing streak that put their playoff hopes in jeopardy with a 16-14 victory over the depleted Cleveland Browns on Monday night at FirstEnergy Stadium in Cleveland.
“That was big time,” quarterback Derek Carr said of Carlson’s kick. “Our team has a great belief in Daniel.
“We made some great plays at the end and the defense saved it for us. They gave us another chance. Nothing really fazes us and if we have enough time we always think we have a chance to win. After that interception, I told the guys 'Please, I promise we'll win it, just get the ball back.’”
Added Raiders interim head coach Rich Bissacia, who is 4-5 after taking over when Jon Gruden resigned: “Real excited for our guys to win a game in that fashion. To play with the effort that they played with all the way to the bitter end even when it looked like probably it was going to go the other way, well done by our players. Real excited for them. We understand the situation we're in and what the playoff race looks like.”
The Raiders (7-7) remained alive in the AFC playoff chase despite struggling after getting off to a promising 3-0 start and later being 5-2.
However, they had another inconsistent performance against the Browns (7-7) and fell behind, 14-13, for the first time in the game on the tight end of third-string quarterback Nick Mullens’ six-yard touchdown pass Harrison Bryant with 3:45 left in the game.
Mullens was playing for the first time this season because 20 Browns employees, including starting quarterback Baker Mayfield and his backup Case Keenum, tested positive for Covid-19 along with eight other starters, which caused the NFL to move the game from Saturday to Monday.
“That locker room right now is hurting,” Browns acting head coach Mike Priefer said about 15 minutes after the game. “That’s the most I’ve seen it in that kind of pain. You’re upset when you lose. Obviously, you’re joyous when you win. But when you lose that type of game, that was tough. They’re pretty down right now.”
It appeared the Raiders were doomed when Carr tried to hit wide receiver Zay Jones with a deep pass that was intercepted by cornerback Greedy Williams at the Cleveland 16-yard-line, and the Browns were in a position to run out the last 2:47 on the clock.
However, the Las Vegas defense stepped up big time and held Browns running back Nick Chubb to seven yards on three carries, including no gain by defensive tackle Johnathan Hankins and linebacker Divine Deablo on third down.
That gave Carr 1:50 and one more chance, which is usually all he needs at crunch time.
The Raiders got the ball back at their 30-yard-line after a 43-yard punt by Dustin Colquitt, and after throwing an incomplete pass, Carr hit tight end Foster Moreau for three yards, wide Jones for 12, running back Josh Jacobs for nine, Moreau for 12, and Jones for 15 to the Cleveland 30.
Carr spiked the ball to stop the clock with three seconds left and Carlson kicked what would have been the game-winner, but Cleveland called time out right before the snap, and Carlson had to do it all over again, but he split the uprights.
The same thing happened on Thanksgiving when the Dallas Cowboys tried to freeze Carlson with a similar timeout, but he kicked his fifth field goal of the game on his second boot to give the Raiders a 36-33 victory in overtime.
Carlson, who recently signed a lucrative long-term contract with the Raiders, is earning money this season by making 31-of-34 field goal attempts.
And Carr did his thing again, leading the Raiders on the 27th game-winning drive in the fourth quarter or overtime during his career.
Carr completed 25-of-38 passes for 236 yards and the interception, plus a five-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Bryan Edwards to cap a 58-yard drive in 11 plays on the Raiders’ first possession of the game for a 7-0 lead with 3:41 remaining in the first quarter.
Carr completed all eight of his passes on the drive for 77 yards.
The only other points for the Raiders came on Carlson field goals of 24 yards to make it 10-0 in the second quarter and 40 yards early in the final quarter to give the Silver and Black a 13-7 lead.
The Raiders controlled the ball and the clock while building that lead, outgaining the Browns, 178-84, in total yards and 18:22 to 11:38 in time of possession in the first half.
The Las Vegas defense held Chubb, who had 926 yards in his previous ten games this season, to 14 yards on six carries in the first two quarters before he got it going in the second half and finished with 91 yards on 23 carries--including a four-yard touchdown run that made it 10-7 with 4:33 left in the third quarter.
Cleveland’s Chase McLaughlin missed a 47-yard field goal attempt on the last play of the first half that proved huge in the end.
Jacobs led the Raiders with 52 yards on 15 carries and added 42 yards on three receptions, while Peyton Barber added 34 yards on five carries.
Moreau led the Raiders with seven receptions for 65 yards, while Jones had six for 67, but wide receiver Hunter Renfrow was limited to three for 32 as the Browns paid close attention to him after he caught 30 passes in the last three games.
Safety Johnathan Abram led the Raiders with nine tackles; linebacker K.J. Wright added eight, and linebacker Marquel Lee had five.
The Raiders again played without two of their best players, tight end Darren Waller and line Denzel Perryman, because of injuries.
Because the Browns game was moved back, the Raiders have a short week to prepare for the Denver Broncos on Sunday at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas. The Silver and Black beat the Broncos, 34-24, earlier this season in Denver.
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