After a disappointing loss to the Houston Texans in Week 8, the Oakland Raiders bounced back in a big way as they defeated the Detroit Lions, 31-24, at home in Week 9.
It was an exciting contest throughout as both teams took turns trading big play after big play, but it was Oakland who managed to come up with the win. Derek Carr and Josh Jacobs led the way on offense as the signal-caller threw for 289 yards and two touchdowns while the running back gashed the Lions for 120 yards and two touchdowns of his own.
After a rough showing in his first season under head coach Jon Gruden, Carr has bounced back in a big way as he has clearly gotten more comfortable in the new offensive system. He is making smarter and more timely throws and has been aided by a running game that has taken off pressure on him to generate plays every drive.
Against the Lions, Carr found rookie wide receiver Hunter Renfrow late in the fourth quarter for the game-winning score, and Gruden was nothing short of impressed, via Scott Bair of NBC Sports:
“Derek Carr played great today,” Gruden said. “He made some great throws. That scramble touchdown to Renfrow was as good as Derek Carr has played since I’ve been here.”
The veteran quarterback did not look like himself in his inaugural year with Gruden as he was hesitant to pull the trigger on big throws and often seemed indecisive, resulting in stalled drives and poor turnovers. However, with an improved offensive line and legitimate weapons like Renfrow, Tyrell Williams, and Darren Waller, he has looked rejuvenated and confident.
A win like this is a major building block for Oakland considering they have played every opponent tough so far but have had trouble finishing games. The loss against the Texans is a prime example of this as they were tied up late in the game but allowed Deshaun Watson enough time to find Darren Fells in the end zone for what would be the game-winning touchdown.
The Lions also looked like another team the Raiders would struggle with. Matthew Stafford is having a resurgence year and carved up the Oakland secondary with deep passes to both Marvin Jones Jr. and Kenny Golladay, plays that could have blown the game wide open. But the Silver and Black shook off the miscues and managed to tighten things up in the second half.
Now at 4-4, the Raiders are in a good position to make a run at one of the two Wild Card spots in AFC given the volatility of almost every team. A win against their division rival in the Los Angeles Chargers this Thursday night would go a long way in helping their postseason hopes.
