After Tumultuous, Emotionally-Conflictive Week Following Gruden Emails And Resignation, Raiders Play Best Game Of Season With 34-24 Win Over Rival Broncos Sunday
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By Alan Snel of LVSportsBiz.com
It was a surreal week that included Saturday Night Live and also late-night TV show host Jimmy Fallon goofing on Jon Gruden, who — liked millions of worldwide Raiders fans — watched the Silver & Black play the rival Denver Broncos in the Mile High City.
Gruden was forced to resign Monday after his emails — while working as an ESPN Monday Night Football analyst and not an NFL coach — surfaced with racist, toxic and homophobic language that also included nasty comments about NFL commissioner Roger Goodell.
Raiders owner Mark Davis, a close friend of Gruden who doled out a 10-year, $100 million deal to enlist Gruden to his second tour-of-coaching-duty for the Raiders, was not thrilled with the NFL. He told ESPN, “Ask the NFL. They have all the answers.”
Davis picked special teams coach Rich Bisaccia as the interim coach. The Raiders also have three former NFL coaches on staff — Gus Bradley (Jacksonville), Tom Cable (former Raiders coach 2008-10) and Rod Marinelli (Detroit).
Bisaccia is 1-0 as a head coach. The Raiders played their best season of the season, leading wire-to-wire over the Broncos and improving to 4-2 with the 34-17 win over Denver.
Raiders quarterback Derek Carr returned to form, the defensive line pressured Broncos quarterback Teddy Bridgewater all afternoon and the Las Vegas defense picked off Bridgewater four times. There was outstanding mental focus by a team that is forging its identity through adversity, as Bisaccia put it. The Raiders are tied for first place in its division.
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Both teams came out flying on offense, scoring on their opening drives for the first time this season.
Carr, who was very close to Gruden, led the Raiders on 75 yards and six plays in only three minutes with a 48-yard TD throw to wideout Henry Ruggs III putting the Raiders up early.
But Bridgewater responded by leading Denver on an eight-play, 84-yard touchdown march.
Raiders placekicker Daniel Carlson booted a 50-yard field goal to give Las Vegas a 10-7 lead.
And then at the end of the first half, Carr was money on a two-minute drive, moving the Raiders 82 yards while going four-for-four on throws, including a touch pass of 33 yards to tight end Darren Waller and a 31-yard TD throw to running back Kenyan Drake.
The Raiders defense bounced back after allowing the Broncos’ opening scoring drive. The Raiders had three sacks and eight pressures of Bridgewater in the first 30 minutes.
The Raiders picked up in the third quarter where they left off late in the first half.
A well-executed screen to running back Josh Jacobs set up Drake’s 18-yard run untouched through the Denver defense and the Raiders increased their lead to 24-7.
Raiders fans rejoiced on social media.
The Broncos cut into the Raiders’ lead
Kicker Brandon McManus nailed a 32-yarder and Las Vegas led, 24-10, with 6:38 left in third.
Ruggs struck again before the end of the quarter. Derek, under duress from the Broncos, tossed a jump ball to Riggs, who came down with the football at the five-yard line.
One play later, Jacobs ran four yards untouched into the end zone,
After three quarters: Raiders 31 Broncos 10.
Denver added a garbage time touchdown and the Raiders walked out of Mile High Stadium with a 34-17 win.
