The Raiders are trying to cut into the Steelers’ 31-21 lead in Oakland, but the game has come to a halt as the Raiders’ medical staff attends to wide receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey.
Heyward-Bey was trying to catch a pass in the end zone between two Steelers defensive backs when he got caught with a shot to the head from safety Ryan Mundy. Heyward-Bey went down to the turf and remained there for several minutes while the medical team immobilized Heyward-Bey and put him onto a stretcher and cart to leave the field. We can’t know what might be wrong with Heyward-Bey at this point, but the reaction is definitely one of a team worried about a serious head and/or neck injury.
Heyward-Bey gave a thumbs up to the crowd on his way off the field, which is a great sign in terms of having movement in his upper extremities. He could also be seen talking to the medical personnel riding out on the cart with him.
There was no flag on the play despite the obvious shot to the head of a defenseless receiver from Mundy, incidentally.
It remains 31-21 early in the fourth in Oakland.
UPDATE 7:26 p.m. ET: The Raiders scored on a Carson Palmer to Denarius Moore touchdown pass a few plays after the game resumed. It’s now 31-28 Steelers with just over 12 minutes to play.