Raiders Fall to 0-3 in 24-22 Loss to the Titans
The Las Vegas Raiders hoped to challenge for the AFC West title in their first season under Coach Josh McDaniels, but they have dug themselves into a hole they might not be able to escape.
Quarterback Ryan Tannehill and running back Derrick Henry led the Tennessee Titans to an early lead and they never trailed but had to hold on in the final minutes for a spine-tingling, 24-22 victory over the Raiders on Sunday at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tenn.
The Raiders, who again missed several chances in the Red Zone, are 0-3 for the first time since 2018 in the first season of Coach Jon Gruden’s second stint with the Silver and Black when they finished the season at 4-12.
Quarterback Derek Carr led the Raiders 81 yards down the field in the closing minutes and threw a 14-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Mack Hollins on fourth down with 1:14 left in the game to get the Raiders close.
However, on the two-point conversion attempt that could have tied the score, Carr’s pass intended for tight end Darren Waller was knocked down by safety Kevin Byard and fell incomplete in the end zone.
The Raiders attempted an onside kick by Daniel Carlson, but tight end Austin Hooper of the Titans recovered and Tannehill ran out the clock by taking a knee three times, as the Raiders were out of timeouts.
The Titans scored touchdowns the first three times they had the ball, with Tannehill throwing a two-yard scoring pass to tight end Geoff Swaim on the first possession of the game, Henry adding on a one-yard run for a TD early in the second quarter and Tannehill punching in the third score on a quarterback sneak from a yard out.
Randy Bullock added a 48-yard field goal on the final play of the second quarter and the Titans held a 24-10 lead at halftime.
The Raiders pitched a shutout in the second half but couldn’t score enough points to win.
Carr threw a five-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Devante Adams in the second quarter after Carlson kicked a 21-yard field goal earlier, the first time the Raiders were unable to score a touchdown when they moved inside the 20-yard-line.
Carlson added a 32-yard field goal in the third quarter and a 35-yarder in the fourth, giving him 30 consecutive field goals without a miss, but on both occasions, the Raiders could not find the end zone when they got close.
The worst failure in the Red Zone came with 9:22 left in the game when Carr’s pass that should have been a three-yard touchdown went through the hands of Waller and was intercepted in the end zone by Byard.
The Raiders finally converted again in the Red Zone on Carr’s touchdown pass to Hollins, but again could not score from close range on the two-point conversion try and fell short for a third straight game.
Carr, forced to throw on almost every down later in the game, completed 26-of-44 passes for 303 yards with two touchdowns and the interception, while Hollins replaced injured wide receiver Hunter Renfrow a had a career game with eight receptions for 158 yards and the TD.
Adams added five catches for 36 yards and the touchdown while running back Josh Jacobs made five receptions for 31 yards in addition to adding 66 yards rushing on 13 carries.
Tannehill completed 19-of-27 passes for 264 yards with a touchdown and an interception, while wide receiver Robert Woods caught four balls for 85 yards. Henry rushed 20 times for 85 yards and a touchdown in addition to catching five passes for 58 yards.
Defensive end Maxx Crosby led the Raiders defense with nine tackles, two for losses, plus a 12-yard sack, a forced fumble, and a QB hit. Linebacker Divine Deablo added seven tackles and cornerback Rock Ya-Sin made six stops before leaving late in the game because of a knee injury.
Cornerback Roger McCreary led the Titans with 10 tackles, cornerback Terrance Mitchell had seven, and linebacker David Long Jr. added seven.
The Las Vegas Raiders return to action next Sunday, as they play host at Allegiant Stadium to their AFC rivals the Denver Broncos. That game kicks off at 4:25 PM PT and can be seen on CBS.
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