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By Alan Snel of LVSportsBiz.com
Las Vegas is a tourism-based economy. Former Gov. Brian Sandoval did make a try at diversifying the economy.
It was a nice thought and a nice try.
But Las Vegas is a one-trick pony economy.
It’s tourism or bust and it plays out in Las Vegas’s growing sports economy in obvious ways. Like the legions of Philadelphia Eagles fans who arrived in metro Las Vegas via air and ground. It helped the hotel room tax revenues that are paying for the public’s $750 million contribution toward construction of Allegiant Stadium.
Raiders games at their domed stadium are both home games and tourist events.
Much like the Raiders-Bears game two weeks ago here, there is likely a 40 percent share of the crowd rooting for the visitors.
Witness the loud roar of approval for an Eagles touchdown. in the first quarter or an interception by an Eagles defender off a pass thrown by Raiders quarterback Derek Carr.
During the Vegas Golden Knights’ first season, we saw the with visiting teams at T-Mobile Arena.
Turn your head away from the game, the crowd roars. But are those cheers for the Eagles or the home team?
You can’t tell.
The Raiders trailed 7-0, but scored 30 straight points to bury the Eagles. By game’s end, Philly had tacked on some garbage time points in the fourth quarter.
Final: Raiders 33 Eagles 22
The Raiders improved to 5-2, while the Eagles are 2-5.
Carr was superb, completing 31 of 34 passes for 323 yards and two touchdowns.
We’re having a blast, winning is fun, that’s for sure. Losing in the NFL is hard on everybody. But when you win, it’s a lot of fun and right now we are having a lot of fun. If I pulled up my notes, the last note I always write Saturday night, I wrote the last couple of weeks is just have fun, and I underlined the exclamation point. Sometimes you forget that among a lot of the questions, a lot of the things going on, it’s still a game. You got to remind yourself to still have fun when you hit the field. I think the last two weeks I just try to remind myself of that, for sure, I’m glad that you see that cause we are having fun. It iss something that we are preaching, have fun, have a blast. We work too hard to up there uptight, be free, have fun, cut it loose. Like I said, winning is what makes it fun, but I think that the guys are making plays, the expression, the swagger that our team is showing is coming out and it’s fun. — Derek Carr
In the post-Gruden era, the Raiders are 2-0 with two impressive wins. New interim coach Rich Bisaccia is more low-key, more in the Tom Flores mold.
I thought Derek [Carr] was outstanding managing the clock. I thought Greg Olson was tremendous in the four-minute offense. Certainly, what he did early in the game, moving the football. We had a six-minute drive from the four-yard line, a 96-yard touchdown drive that took up six minutes. The fourth quarter pass rush, we did a great job in the end with space tackling as we kept through it. I thought it was a complete team effort from start to finish. — Interim coach Rich Bisaccia
The Raiders said attendance was about 62,000.
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The Raiders got off to their usual slow start in this building.
The Eagles marched down the field and opened the scoring with a 13–yard touchdown pass from Jalen Hurts to Kenneth Gainwell.
The Raiders countered, thanks to a gorgeous 43-yard strike from Carr to wide receiver Zay Jones to the red zone.
But the Raiders were able to not cash in.
Carr was intercepted on a deflected pass and after one quarter it was the Eagles 7 Raiders 0.
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With Raiders’ Darren Waller out, Carr is distributing his passes to Henry Ruggs III, Bryan Edwards, Hunter Renfrow, Zay Jones, Josh Jacobs and tight end Foster Moreau.
In fact, the Raiders tied the Eagles early in the second quarter with a Carr-to-Moreau TD pass.
Jacobs then ran in the Raiders’ second touchdown after he set up the run with a nice screen pass gain. The Jacobs’ eight-yard run capped a gorgeous 96-yard, 10-play drive that featured an outstanding mix of throws and runs, including a classic screen pass to Jacobs that set up his scoring run.
Raiders 14 Eagles 7
Then the Raiders recovered an Eagles fumble on the next possession and converted it into a short Daniel Carlson field goal.
At the half: Raiders 17 Eagles 7.
The Raiders outgained the Eagles, 273-119, in the first half. Derek Carr was 21 for 23 for 215 yards to eight different receivers. Not too shabby.
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He’s back. Guy Fieri on the field. With the boys.
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The Raiders have two vaccination card screening tents set and open in parking lots on both the north and south sides of the stadium. All fans must show proof of COVID-19 vaccination to enter the venue. More than 12,300 fans — both onsite and offsite — have received vaccination jabs after owner Mark Davis announced the vaccination requirement.
I spoke with a Raiders fans from Stockton, California while his son was getting his vaccination shot inside the Alternate Screening tent. His name was Sean and he lamented all the Eagles fans in the Raiders stadium, wondering if the Raiders will not have the home field advantage they had at their old Oakland stadium.
Inside the stadium, let’s check the scenes.
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The Eagles tried to cut into the Raiders’ 10-point halftime lead with an onside kick attempt to start the third quarter.
But the Raiders’ Alec Ingold recovered the ball that was dribbled off the foot of placekicker Jake Elliott.
The Raiders relied on a dogpile push with runner Kenyan Drake getting driven downfield to the four yard line. Drake scored on a run the next play.
Raiders 24 Eagles 7.
There’s more.
The Raiders scored again on a one-yard pass from Carr to Edwards. Kicker Daniel Carlson hit the upright on the PAT.
Raiders 30 Eagles 7.
The Raiders are taking care of business so far today, outgaining the Eagles in yards, 379-167, in the 3Q.
End of third quarter: Raiders 30 Eagles 7.
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The fourth quarter was mop-up time.
The Eagles scored a touchdown and then the Raiders countered with a 39-yard field goal by Carlson.
The Raiders led, 33-14.
Philly quarterback Jalen Hurts led the Eagles on another scoring drive with less than five minutes to go and added a two-point conversion to cut the deficit to 33-22.
The Raiders have a bye week next weekend before flying to New York for a game against the Giants Nov. 7 The next home game is Nov. 14 when division rival Kansas City visits Las Vegas. The Titans demolished Kansas City, 27-3, today.
Massive crowd of fans makes it way across the Hacienda Avenue bridge after the game. The Golden Knights play at 7 PM, so traffic in the Strip corridor is expected to be fierce. There is also EDC electric music concert in Las Vegas.
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