In defeating the Cleveland Browns 45-42, the Oakland Raiders nabbed their first win of the 2018 NFL season and concluded the month of September on a positive note.
In a contest that featured many lead changes, the Raiders were eventually able to pull out an overtime victory behind a game-winning 29-yard field goal by Matthew McCrane.
Forcing the extra period was made possible by quarterback Derek Carr, who threw for 137 of his 437 passing yards in the final quarter of regulation. His performance was highlighted by a game-tying drive that ended with a seven-yard touchdown pass to Jared Cook, as well as an ensuing, clutch two-point conversion by Jordy Nelson.
Given all the adversity that had been faced prior to McCrane’s kick, Raiders head coach Jon Gruden joked that Sunday’s win over the Browns felt like his first in a century, according to Luke Straub of Raiders Wire:
“It feels like my first win in 100 years. It’s great to be back. I think our fans for hanging in there with us. A lot of ups and downs but to get that field goal with our third string kicker, back up snapper, I’ve never been so nervous on a 29-yard field goal in my life.”
With the win, the Raiders improved to 1-3 ahead of next week’s key divisional bout against the Los Angeles Chargers.
For Gruden, Sunday’s victory marked his first as an NFL head coach in nearly 10 years. His previous win came on Nov. 30, 2008 while still at the helm for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Gruden’s first win in his second Raiders stint additionally snapped a personal-worst seven-game losing streak.
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