Based on the Raiders and Giants’ records and how they’ve played this season, the Raiders should’ve handled their business in New York. But the Raiders were dealing with much larger issues.
The Raiders struggled to keep their head above water against the Giants and despite six trips into the end zone put up just 16 points. On top of it, they turned the ball over three times. That’s a recipe for a loss.
Ballers
RB Josh Jacobs
Jacobs was running angry in this game. He was decisive and sharp and when facing prospective tacklers, he was aggressive and violent in his running style. He got the ball five times on the Raiders opening drive, picking up 45 yards on the ground.
The biggest run went for 18 yards to set the Raiders up in first and goal from the six. A four-yard run got them close to the goal line and they scored the TD on the next play.
Following a turnover that gave the Raiders the ball at the New York 30-yard-line, Jacobs picked up 21 yards on two plays to put the Raiders in first and goal at the nine. They would get a field goal out of it to take a 10-7 lead.
Early in the third quarter, he had two of his best runs of the day. The first he laid a wicked stiff arm to pick up 14 yards. The second juked a defender in the open field to go for 18 yards. The Raiders got a field goal out of it to pull to within one point, down 17-16.
Jacobs finished with a season-high 76 yards on 13 carries and added 19 yards on four catches.
DE Yannick Ngakoue
After the Raiders tied up the game at 7-7 in the first quarter, Ngakoue got the edge and sacked Daniel Jones, stripping the ball where it was recovered by Darius Philon to give the Raiders the ball at the New York 30-yard-line. The Raiders were able to score a field goal to take a 10-7 lead.
In the second quarter, the Giants went on a long drive, looking to retake the lead. Ngakoue again sacked Jones to assure they would settle for a field goal to tie.
It was Ngakoue’s third multiple sack game of the season, giving him six on the season and moving him past teammate Maxx Crosby (five) for the team lead.
TE Darren Waller
With the receiving corps struggling to get open without a deep threat, it was Waller time. He was targeted 11 times and caught seven passes for 92 yards, which is his best numbers since the season opener.
The real shame is that Waller should have had a much better day. At least four times Carr missed him in the end zone. Three of those were off-target passes. The other he didn’t even throw it. Even with those misses, Waller had a good day. It was just a day of missed opportunities.
He had a 19-yard catch that put them in scoring range at the end of the first half. He opened the fourth quarter with a 25-yard catch on a drive that ended in a missed field goal. His next catch went for 12 yards on a drive that ended in an interception. And he had a 19-yard catch and an eight-yard catch on the final drive that ended in a fumble.
TE Foster Moreau
No catches? No targets? No problem. Moreau was doing work as a blocker in this one. He cleared the way on a Jacobs 18-yard run in the first quarter, another 18-yard run in the third quarter that was wiped away by an illegal formation penalty (thanks Dillon Stoner!), and a 21-yard run by Kenyan Drake in the fourth. Just to name a few.
RB Kenyan Drake
Drake was churning out the yards and finished with 100 yards from scrimmage on ten touches. His big drive came to open the fourth quarter where he had a 21-yard run followed by a 22-yard catch and run, and then an 11-yard catch to put the Raiders in the red zone.
Then on the final drive, Drake had a nine-yard catch and picked up 17 yards on a screen play.
Honorable Mention
S Dallin Leavitt — Had a solid tackle on a return to stop it inside the 20, recovered a Hunter Renfrow fumble on a return, and made a tackle short of the sticks on third down. Well rounded day for the special teams maven.
Busters
QB Derek Carr
Carr had a very bad day. He’s had these kinds of days before. You know, where the passing numbers look like he was actually pretty good. But the results and actual game film tell a different story. The problem is when he refuses to acknowledge how bad his game really was.
The only thing Carr would say is that the three turnovers were on him. Well, because they were. He threw the two picks and had the fumble to end the game.
The first interception was the worst kind. One of those short passes in the flat where the defender steps in front of it and has nothing but green grass in front of him to score. Carr threw it late and behind Hunter Renfrow and Xavier McKinney said thank you very much.
That pick six gave the Giants a 17-13 lead early in the third quarter. But while he handed the Giants a touchdown on that play, he cost the Raiders four points at the end of the previous drive when he overthrew a wide open Darren Waller in the end zone. A common theme for Carr was missing Waller in the end zone.
It was the under throws that got him picked twice. And both were McKinney. The second one was for purported speedster Zay Jones to whom Carr likes to throw back shoulder passes. This one McKinney swooped over and said I’ll take that…again.
After playing with house money all season, Carr had his first fumble that was lost. And it was the one that sealed the Raiders’ fate in New York.
DT Johnathan Hankins, DT Quinton Jefferson
The big men in the middle were getting pushed around all game. First it was former Raiders RB Devontae Booker running all over them. He’s the Giants’ backup running back, by the way, as Saquon Barkley didn’t play in the game. Leading to a career-high 99 yards rushing for Booker.
Then third strong RB Elijah Penny came in and he ran all over them too, putting up 35 yards on five carries. That seven yards per carry was a career-high for Penny and his 35 yards was his third most ever.
Do I really need to detail the specific runs in which one or both of Hankins and Jefferson were pushed around? Let’s just say several times each with neither making more than a single stop inside four yards.
K Daniel Carlson
So, hey, great you made three field goals. You also missed the shortest field goal in the NFL this season, having a 25-yard attempt go wide left. That would’ve brought it to a one-point game midway through the fourth quarter.
OT Kolton Miller
Miller had been lights out all season. Not giving up a sack. Then again the Raiders hadn’t lost a fumble all season either. Both of those things happened on the same play. And it ended the game. Miller was beat around the left edge by Quincy Roche. He held him and still ended up giving up the sack. If he holds up there, the Raiders have at least two more shots at the end zone. From lights out to turn out the lights and go home.
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