Broncos head coach Nathaniel Hackett wound up being right that “somebody has to win” Sunday’s game against the Raiders, but the result wasn’t the one Hackett was looking for.
Raiders quarterback Derek Carr floated a 35-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Davante Adams to end the game in overtime. The Raiders had tied the game on a Daniel Carlson field goal late in the fourth quarter and the 22-16 win lifts them to 3-7 on the season.
Carlson’s field goal came after an inexplicable mistake by Broncos quarterback Russell Wilson. The Raiders used all their timeouts ahead of the two minute warning and the Broncos had a third-and-10 on the first play after that break. Wilson had nowhere to go with the ball while scrambling and threw it away rather than take a sack that would have eaten up valuable time for the Raiders. The Raiders got the ball back with 1:43 left on the clock instead.
The Raiders had three shots to score a touchdown after a quick drive down the field, but couldn’t win the game in that spot. Carlson’s field goal sent the game to overtime and the Raiders won the toss. A 33-yard pass to tight end Foster Moreau put the Raiders across midfield and Carr hit Adams one play later to win the game.
It was Adams’ second touchdown catch of the day and he finished with seven catches for 141 yards. Carr was 23-of-37 for 307 yards and running back Josh Jacobs had 160 yards from scrimmage, including a 43-yard catch that set up the game-tying field goal.
Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby had two sacks, a forced fumble, and a blocked field goal to help the Raiders’ cause.
The Broncos made quarterbacks coach Klint Kubiak their offensive play caller on Sunday and Wilson actually had one of his best games as a Bronco. He finished 24-of-31 for 247 yards, but the final throw is the only one that’s likely to be remembered because it exemplifies the kind of poor decisions that have been a hallmark of this Broncos season. The loss drops the Broncos to the same 3-7 mark as the Raiders, but they’re in last place after losing both of their games against Las Vegas this year.
The Broncos will be in Carolina to face another disappointing team next weekend and the Raiders will get to face Wilson’s former team in Seattle.