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Career-day was an understatement for Las Vegas running back Josh Jacobs as he capped the day with an 86-yard game-winning touchdown to pick up the second consecutive win for the Raiders.
“I’m running out of superlatives,” McDaniels said with a smile. “Over 300 total yards in a game – it didn’t feel perfect but he’s a football player. That’s probably the greatest compliment I can give him.”
The spectacular finish for Las Vegas sealed another overtime victory in walk-off style to pick up back-to-back wins for the first time this season.
Las Vegas beat Seattle, 40-34, in overtime from Lumen Field Sunday, Nov. 27. The victory is the second straight on the road for the team as well.
“It started from the first play to the last play,” head coach Josh McDaniels said. “The first play is an interception and the last play is a touchdown. There were a lot of swings in the game, I credit our coaches. Our coaches did a really good job of staying neutral at times when they needed to be.”
With the win, the Raiders improve to 2-5 on the road this season and 4-7 overall. As it currently stands, Las Vegas sits in third place in the AFC West, two games behind the Los Angeles Chargers.
Ironically enough, Las Vegas and Los Angeles will meet at Allegiant Stadium for a divisional matchup Sunday, Dec. 4.
“I’ve never doubted that it was [heading in the right direction],” McDaniels said. “Like I said, in the NFL, there’s a lot of close games every week. Sometimes it takes a little while to learn how to get over the hump on some of those things.”
Kick-off is scheduled for 1:25 p.m.
Jacobs accounted for 303 yards from scrimmage which included 33 carries for 229 yards and two touchdowns including the game-winner from more than 80 yards. That 86-yard scamper was the longest for the Raiders this season and the longest in Jacobs’ four-year career.
In addition, Jacobs 74 receiving yards was tied for a team-high with receiver Davante Adams, who hauled in seven passes. Jacobs finished with six catches.
“That mentality that he brings, the mindset with the way he runs,” quarterback Derek Carr said. “Over and over and over again is finishing not just downhill but through people. He’s always finishing forward.
“I said at the beginning of the year when we added Davante, the happiest person in the building, besides me, is going to be Josh Jacobs. And we’re seeing the fruits of that now.
His first score of the day came in the second quarter on the heels of an interception from linebacker Denzel Perryman. On the first play of the ensuing drive, Jacobs hit the hole and found the end zone from 30 yards out.
The Las Vegas defense also picked up three sacks as well as forcing Seattle quarterback Geno Smith to fumble. Defensive lineman Maxx Crosby picked up a sack and a half to raise his team-lead total to 10.5 sacks in the process.
Just before halftime, Jacobs ran for eight yards on a 4th and 2 that put the Raiders into field goal range to take a 24-20 lead into the locker room. The play also put Jacobs a yard over 1,000 on the season, marking the third time he’s done so in his four-year NFL stint.
While Las Vegas kicker Daniel Carlson made that attempt, he had his streak of 11 straight made field goals from 50 or more yards broken in overtime with a chance to win the game.
“It hurts because you want that to be the game,” Carr said. “But at the same time, it’s like, ‘If we get another chance at this we still have to go win a game and Josh was able to do that on that run.”
The passing department had a rough start to the day as Carr threw two interceptions in his first eight attempts of the game. Both interceptions went to Seahawks cornerback Quandre Diggs.
Prior to that, he had gone 126 straight attempts without an interception.
Carr would settle down and rifle three touchdown passes for the first time this season, two of which came in the first half.
After leaving the game briefly, due to taking a blow to the ribs, Carr returned to relieve backup Jarrett Stidham of quarterback duties. On his second play back, Carr found running back Ameer Abdullah from 18 yards out to tie the game at seven apiece.
His second touchdown went to receiver Mack Hollins for 36 yards and put Las Vegas on top, 14-13 early in the second quarter.
Facing a 3rd and goal, Carr found his third touchdown recipient of the night in tight end Foster Moreau to tie the game at 34 apiece with 1:54 left in regulation.
“Sometimes these guys, they don’t have their numbers called for a little while for whatever the reason is,” McDaniels said. “And then they’re ready to go. So when all of a sudden the ball comes to him, they’re in it and they make the play.”
Carr went 25-for-36, throwing for 295 yards with three touchdowns and two interceptions. He now has 2,730 yards this season to go along with 18 touchdowns and seven interceptions.