OAKLAND – The Raiders were reliant on offense to tally wins early this season. The tides have turned in recent weeks. The Raiders have won two of the last three games with stout defense that has produced some big plays.
That was certainly the case in a 23-20 overtime victory, where the defense stood tall in big moments and helped put points on the board.
The first two came courtesy of Denico Autry, who sacked Philip Rivers in the end zone late in the third quarter to slice the deficit to five points.
“That was a big moment,” Autry said. “I’m glad we were able to get him down and get some points.”
Malcolm Smith and Benson Mayowa teamed up on the game’s turning point. Smith stripped the ball from Chargers tight end David Johnson, and Mayowa picked it up and ran 40 yards to the San Diego 3-yard line.
[RATTO: Raiders fans endure decades of heartache for heroic night]
Michael Crabtree hauled in a touchdown catch on the next snap, which gave the Raiders a 20-17 lead late in the fourth quarter.
“It was all about the score,” Mayowa said. “Big plays give you momentum. That's all I was thinking about, if I got up and I could possibly score. There was nobody on that side, I looked. I tried to beat one guy and I was almost in the end zone.”
Mayowa’s teammates joked that he ran out of gas, but Khalil Mack said he missed a block that could’ve gotten him to the end zone.
The Raiders defense has stepped up big in key moments, especially with the offense sputtering of late.
“We played together. That’s what our success has come down to,” Mack said. “We’re getting pressure up front, covering well in the back. That allows you to make big plays. Those play were a big difference in this outcome.”
Cooper extremely limited: Amari Cooper was a non-factor on Thursday night, as his ailing foot prevented from making a significant impact. The rookie receiver has been dealing with an injury for a few weeks, and the short turnaround from a Thursday night contest prevented him from having a characteristically strong day.
“He was not able to be himself on the short week,” head coach Jack Del Rio said. “It really affected his ability to get back to 100 percent. Typically, we’re giving him Wednesday off or Thursday off at some point to help the healing process. The time between Sunday to Sunday, he has a legitimate chance. I imagine he’s going to go into this last at Kansas City feeling as well as he had in a long time. It’s just a matter of needing some time and we didn’t have much this week.”
Having Cooper hindered hurt the offense as a whole and took the team’s deep threat away. That meant heavier traffic on short and intermediate routes as the offense struggled throughout the game.
Murray’s proud of 1,000 yards: Latavius Murray crossed the 1,000-yard plateau in a strong first half. He had 79 rushing yards and 117 yards from scrimmage. It’s a point of pride for Murray and the offensive line, a sign that the run game is moving in the right direction.
[BAIR: Raiders RB Murray reaches 1,000 rushing yards]
Murray is the AFC’s leading rusher, and turned another solid game with significant damage in the first half.
“I was able to get out and make some plays,” Murray said. “Obviously I needed help up front and they were doing their job. (I was just) getting to the second level and getting some space.”
Murray is the Raiders’ first 1,000-yard rusher since Darren McFadden in 2010 and just the fourth player this decade to reach the milestone.
Putting points back on the board: The Chargers had three points and lost them in a zany turn of events in the fourth quarter. Josh Lambo connected on a 53-yard field goal, but Chargers head coach Mike McCoy took the automatic first down that came with defensive holding on Khalil Mack.
The Chargers had a touchdown called back upon review, were backed up by penalties and ended up missing a 48-yard field goal wide left.
The Chargers lost by three points they ultimately gave back. The Raiders were okay with the turn of events, especially Mack.
“I was doing some hoping and praying over that one,” Mack said. “Luckily, it saved us three points and we were able to hold on and get the win.”
This and that: Raiders kicker Sebastian Janikowski tied Jason Hanson’s NFL record for field goals from 50-plus yards with his 52nd conversion from distance. …Punter Marquette King set a franchise record with 34 punts inside the opposing 20-yard line, though the stat was tracked started in 1976. …Quarterback Derek Carr had a TD pass against San Diego, tying him with Peyton Manning and Russell Wilson for most touchdown passes in a quarterback’s first two season. That trio has 52. … Receiver Michael Crabtree caught his eighth touchdown on Thursday, making him the first Raiders receiver to hit that touchdown total since Tim Brown did it in 2001.
