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By Alan Snel, LVSportsBiz.com Publisher/Writer
Well Mark Davis, at least you snagged a WNBA championship today.
The Raiders/Aces owner could find solace in the women of the Las Vegas Aces, which defeated the Connecticut Sun Sunday to claim the WNBA title just 90 minutes before the Arizona Cardinals staged a wild second-half comeback against his Raiders to force overtime in a game won by Arizona on a fumble return for a touchdown in OT.
The Raiders blew a 20-0 halftime lead as Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray led Arizona on a crazy comeback, including running for a touchdown and throwing for a two-point conversion to tie the game at 23 with no time left on the game clock.
The Cardinals took advantage of a fumble by Raiders receiver Hunter Renfrow in overtime to return it for the game-winning score with 3:51 left in the extra session. Final: Arizona 29 Las Vegas 23 in OT.
Davis attended the championship-clinching game in Connecticut. His Raiders here in Las Vegas played their home-opener at Allegiant Stadium off the Strip in Las Vegas and started well by building a 10-0 lead in the first quarter against the Cardinals. Attendance came in at 61,707, about 95 percent of capacity.
Raiders quarterback Derek Carr came out sharp, completing key passes to Mack Hollins before he tossed a short one-yard TD pass to his Fresno State college buddy, Davante Adams.
Ol’ reliable, placekicker Daniel Carlson, booted a FG to pad the Raiders’ early lead to 10-0.
Midway through the second period, Carr dropped a nice screen pass to running back Ameer Abdullah for a first and goal to go. Carr then hit Waller for a short TD. The efficient 59-yard, seven-play drive gave Las Vegas a 17-0 lead.
The Raiders thought they had a turnover when Nate Hobbs intercepted Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray. But a defensive holding wiped out the INT.
But later in the drive, Amik Robertson made an interception and the Raiders took over the ball with a chance to score before the half.
Carlson dropped in a 55-yard field goal and the Raiders trotted off the new turf field with a 20-0 lead at halftime.
In the second half, the Raiders offense faltered while the Cardinals played desperate football.
Las Vegas led, 23-7, going into the fourth quarter.
But Arizona rallied for 16 points in the fourth quarter, including a wild two-point conversion run by Murray who ran all over the field before he scampered in for the two points.
Raiders coach Josh McDaniels said Carr played a good game.
“We had to do better around him in the second half. I thought Derek played as good football game today,” McDaniels said. “In the first half, we played the game the way we wanted to. We lost control in the second half for sure.”
Last season, the Raiders played some crazy overtime games, including the first game of 2021 on Monday Night Football against the Baltimore Ravens and the last game of the season against the Los Angeles Chargers. The Raiders won both of those games in OT en route to a 10-7 playoff record.
But the Raiders lost their first crack at overtime in 2022 and dropped to 0-2.