Raiders come up clutch in overtime win against the Ravens, 33-27

It’s not everyday we can call a week 1 game the game of the year. However, the NFL schedule makers got this one right and saved the best game for last as they gave fans all over a game for the ages. As the hometown Raiders played in front of a raucous crowd for the first time as the Las Vegas Raiders.

The game was played tight to the vest the entire night but the fourth quarter is where all the magic happened. After a back and forth game, the Raiders tied the game at 17-17 with under 10 minutes left in the fourth quarter. And then later in the quarter, the Raiders tied it up at 24-24 with a Darren Waller touchdown with under four minutes left.

Baltimore got the ball back and MVP quarterback Lamar Jackson got the Raiders in field goal range. Justin Tucker made the 47-yard field goal to give Baltimore the 27-24 lead with 37 seconds left on the clock. The one aspect Derek Carr doesn’t get enough credit for is his ability to come up clutch in the 4th quarter Derek Carr earned his 27th fourth quarter comeback by leading the Raiders to a 55 yard field goal to take the game into overtime.

The Raiders won the toss and drove the length of the field for a touchdown. The biggest play was a Bryan Edwards reception that took the ball down to the one-yard line. But Carr ended up throwing an interception on third down after a pass went through Willie Snead’s hands. However, the Raiders' often criticized defense rose to the occasion as Carl Nassib forced a fumble on 3rd down which Raiders hit Zay Jones on a game winning touchdown.

The Raiders looked like a different team tonight and a huge reason for that is the defense forced turnovers. Baltimore quarterback Lamar Jackson had two fumbles, in the fourth quarter and in overtime, and the Raiders’ offense responded with touchdowns on both drives. Creating big turnovers has always been the goal of new Las Vegas defensive coordinator Gus Bradley. If this can become a trend, the Raiders will be an immediate contender.

The two stars of the game were Darren Waller who went for 100 yards for the 11th time in his career and Max Crosby who made life a living hell for Lamar Jackson with 2 sacks and 6 pressures. The Raiders will take on the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 2 with a 1:00 PM ET kickoff. There are several injuries that will need to be monitored, including DE Yannick Ngakoue, RG Denzelle Good, and Gerald McCoy who left the game and did not return.