3 years ago
323
Cornerback Casey Hayward Jr. was conscionable good allowing his archetypal reception successful a Raiders’ azygous precocious successful the archetypal 4th of his 3rd crippled with the team.
Hayward made an open-field tackle connected Jaylen Waddle connected the play for a information that turned the crippled astir aft the Raiders trailed 14-0 connected Sunday astatine Allegiant Stadium.
“Right earlier that play, I told (cornerback Trayvon Mullen), idiosyncratic has to marque a play,” Hayward said aft a 31-28 overtime victory. “It conscionable happened to beryllium me. After that, we benignant of got it going. That’s conscionable what we do. We fought and won the crippled and came retired victorious.
“I’m OK with that being the archetypal reception allowed. We enactment immoderate points connected the board.”
Hayward said it was the archetypal information helium had recorded successful the NFL, but the play besides made history.
It was the archetypal completed walk play successful modern league past to effect successful a information without a punishment oregon fumble connected the play. Hayward said it was a fortunate coincidence.
“I was trying to conscionable bash my job,” helium said. “I really astir apt shouldn’t person been there, but it ended up being a bully play for maine being successful the close spot astatine the close time. I was conscionable trying to work and respond and spell marque a play.”
Hayward has been a revelation and a large crushed the defence has turned things astir aft a dismal 2020 play to assistance the Raiders to their archetypal 3-0 commencement since 2002.
He’s not alone. The antiaircraft enactment has generated accordant pressure, and the linebackers and safeties are doing a amended occupation tackling. Both of those aspects person helped marque caller coordinator Gus Bradley’s strategy look adjacent much effective.
Mullen mightiness person had his champion crippled arsenic a pro Sunday. Even erstwhile helium made a mistake, the third-year pro retired of Clemson bounced back.
He committed walk interference precocious successful regularisation that led to the game-tying people and concisely near the crippled with an injury.
When helium came backmost connected the tract to commencement overtime, the Dolphins tested him heavy twice. He responded some times, breaking up what would person been immense gains.
“He answered the telephone each game,” Hayward said. “He’s 1 of those guys I deliberation tin beryllium elite, and I deliberation helium played elite. He got a batch of targets, and I don’t deliberation galore were caught. He’s taking that measurement you should instrumentality successful twelvemonth three.”
Miscommunication
The triumph came contempt backmost Derek Carr’s aboriginal interception that was returned for a touchdown by Elandon Roberts.
The Raiders had been 0-10 successful games Carr had thrown a pick-six.
While it appeared choky extremity Foster Moreau stopped abbreviated connected the route, Carr said it was his fault.
“He was moving a shallow cross, and I had a defender successful my face,” helium said. “I didn’t privation to instrumentality a sack down successful determination that close, truthful I benignant of tried to conjecture what helium was going to bash earlier helium made his decision, and it was my fault. I should person conscionable thrown the shot away.”
The Raiders had mislaid 19 consecutive games erstwhile an hostile returned an interception for a touchdown, dating to 2005.
Historic start
The Raiders and AFC West rival Denver person opened the play 3-0, but not each three-game winning streaks are created equal.
The Raiders are the archetypal squad successful past to unfastened a play 3-0 with each 3 wins against teams that won 10 oregon much games successful the erstwhile season.
The Broncos person defeated the Jets, Giants and Jaguars. Those teams are a combined 0-9.
Errant snaps
Center Andre James appeared to settee successful with his shotgun snaps aft a fewer of them aboriginal made Carr scope and 1 sailed implicit his head.
It was the 2nd clip a drawback has been airmailed this season, starring to a antagonistic play.
On Sunday, Carr was capable to propulsion the shot distant lone to beryllium whistled for intentional grounding and a nonaccomplishment of 18 successful the archetypal quarter.
“It’s clip connected task,” Carr said of perfecting the snaps. “I committedness you we enactment connected it, but he’s besides got large dudes successful beforehand of him. … I told him, ‘I’m sorry, I conscionable didn’t person the hops today.’”
Contact Adam Hill astatine ahill@reviewjournal.com. Follow @AdamHillLVRJ connected Twitter.
English (US) ·