(OBSERVER photo by Russell Stiger Jr.)
OAKLAND, Calif. — A rookie quarterback has not beaten the Oakland Raiders in their first start since 1980. For a moment, Cleveland Browns rookie quarterback looked like he was going to end that spell.
Only for a moment. Mayfield produced a few miscues that knocked the Browns out of contention. Also, behind, 17-7, the Raiders (1-3) came back to beat the visiting Browns 45-42 in overtime to earn their first victory of the season.
Behind 42-34, Oakland quarterback Derek Carr threw a 7-yard touchdown pass to tight end Jared Cook and wide receiver Jordy Nelson caught the two-point conversion to tied the game with 30 seconds left in regulation.
McCrane, who missed a 50-yard attempt earlier, kicked a 29-yard field goal with 1:50 left in overtime to seal the deal and stop a three-game losing streak for the Raiders. Raiders coach Jon Gruden gets his first win in 10 years.
“That was a great effort by our team,” said Gruden, who had lost his previous seven games as a head coach, including the first three games of the season. “We got a lot of contributions from people who didn’t expect to have the type of day that they had. There were a lot of peaks and valleys. But we finished today.”
Carr completed 35 of 58 passes for 437 yards, four touchdowns, and two interceptions. Amari Cooper caught eight passes for 128 yards and one touchdown while Cook added eight caught passes for 110 years and two touchdowns for the Raiders.
Marshawn Lynch ran the football 20 times for 130 yards and Nelson had five catches for 48 yards and one TD. The Raiders netted a total of 565 offensive yards. Oakland was down 28-14 before rallying off 20 straight points to take the lead briefly 34-28.
“Being in this league for so long all you need is time and downs,” Nelson said. “At one part of the game we didn’t have any time…we just had downs. As long as you got shots you keep taking them and keep battling until they say you can’t play anymore.”
Mayfield was impressive in his first start in the NFL. He threw 41 times, completed 21 passes, tossed two TDS, and was intercepted twice. Nick Chubb rushed three times for 105 yards and two touchdowns. Chubb’s longest ran was for 63 yards and a score.
Mayfield hit eight different receivers for the Browns. Jarvis Landry was targeted 10 times but only had 34 receiving yards and one touchdown. Carlos Hyde, who played for the San Francisco 49ers, returned to the Bay Area to ran 22 times for 82 yards and one touchdown.
“You know, we put 42 points,” Hyde said after the game. “The offense is definitely starting to click now. So there are some positives. There are some negatives. Take the positives and learn from it.”
The Browns were able to regain the lead 35-34 on tje 1-yard TD by Hyde with 8:07 left to play and Chubb’s second-biggest run, a 41-yard touchdown put Cleveland up 42-34 before the Raiders mounted their comeback.
Browns head coach Hugh Jackson, a Raiders coach, nearly had a victory in his grasp against his former employers. The Browns (1-2-1) lose their 23rd straight game on the road. Cleveland was besieged by turnovers.
Mayfield passed a pick-6 to Garreon Conley in the first quarter and he made another critical mistake when he fumbled on the 10-yard line in the third quarter. It must also be noted that he botched a snapped in the fourth quarter.
Congratulations to the Raiders,” Jackson said. “They made the players to win the game. We didn’t. Fourteen-point swing there in the second half to where they scored each time we turned it over and you look at the spread and that was the difference. Can’t turn the ball over.”
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By Antonio R. Harvey
OBSERVER Staff Writer