Oakland Raiders Move Into A Three-Way Tie In AFC West, Hold Off New York Giants 24-17

New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning leaves the Oakland Coliseum field after his team lost 24-17 to the Raiders on Dec. 3, 2017. After 210-consecutive starts, Manning was benched. Publicity Agents photo art by T. Ray Harvey.

THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, Oakland, Calif. — The Oakland Raiders were without top wide receivers Amari Cooper and Michael Crabtree for the game against the New York Giants on Sunday.

In their absence, the Raiders used eight different receivers to pull out a 24-17 victory over the visiting New York Giants. Quarterback Derek Carr completed 22 of 36 passes for 287 yards and one touchdown for the Raiders (6-6), who climbed into a three-way tie in the AFC West with the Kansas City Chiefs and Los Angeles Chargers.

The Chiefs lost 38-31 on the road to the New York Jets while Chargers beat the winless Cleveland Browns 19-10 at home. Things are looking pretty good for the Raiders, who have won three of their last four games.

“Happy to get a hard-fought victory here at home,” said Raiders head coach Jack Del Rio. “Earned ourselves after today’s events a share of first place. Obviously, everything that all the goals that we set when the season started are right there in front of us.”

Marshawn Lynch ran for 101 yards on 17 attempts and scored on a 51-yard TD early in the game for the Raiders (6-6). Cordarrelle Patterson caught four passes for 97 yards, including a key 59-yard pass in the fourth quarter to set up another Raiders’ score.

Geno Smith completed 21 of 34 passes for 212 yards and 1 TD for the Giants (2-10), who have lost five of their last six games. Evan Engram caught seven passes for 99 yards and a touchdown while Orleans Darkwa scored on a 1-yard TD in the first quarter.

Eli Manning, 37, was benched by the Giants who let Smith take the helm. Manning, who has won two Super Bowls for New York, had started 210 games, the second-longest streak in the NFL for a quarterback. Del Rio was the first person to meet Manning on the field following the game.

“I just basically said, ‘Hey man, hang in there,’” Del Rio said of his brief discussion with Manning. “‘You know I love you and your family and have a lot of respect for you. I know it’s been a tough deal for you.’ That was it,” Del Rio said.

But while the stories circulated around Manning and various reports of him retiring after this season, he did say it was difficult watching the game from the sidelines. Regardless of the situation, Manning was involved, sitting with Smith on the bench as they discussed his touchdown pass in the second half.

“Hey, I wanted to be out there. I wanted to play,” Manning said. “This is kind of the situation we’re in, 2-9, and they want to take a look at other guys. I understand. I’m not mad at anybody. I think when you’re in in this situation, whatever happens, there’s a reason you have to accept.”

As for the rumors of retiring, Manning said, “Yeah, I plan on playing next season.”

Smith started out slow in place of Manning. What it will do for himself or his career is anyone’s guess. He did commit two turnovers on fumbles in the first half before throwing a 10-yard TD strike to Engram in the second half.

Smith fumbled in the second quarter in which the Raiders’ linebacker NaVorro Bowman recovered and when the Giants was in position to score again to close out the first half, Smith committed his second fumble that was recovered by the Raiders with 35 seconds left in the first half.

Overall, his teammates were satisfied with Smith’s performance on the field.

“I think Geno did a great job,” said Giants defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul. “At the end of the day, he did a great job as our quarterback. We didn’t win the game, but he stepped up and did what he had to do.”

Lynch got the Raiders on the board first with a run up the middle, untouched, that counted for a 51-yard TD. Running back Orleans Darkwa put the Giants in the scoring column with a four-yard run with six seconds left in the first quarter that tied the game 7-7.

Giorgio Tavecchio 39-yard field with 3:41 left remaining in the second quarter gave the Raiders a 10-7 margin.

After Marquette King was tackled by Shane Smith at the 9-yard line with 45 seconds left during a punt attempt, Khalil Mack of the Raiders took the football right out Smith’s hands on a pass attempt two plays later to prevent the Giants from capitalizing on the Raiders’ special team blunder.

Oakland Raiders wide receiver Cordarrelle Patterson. Footage by Public Agents OpticalVision.

Mack also recorded a sack in the process and the Raiders kept their three-point lead at the break.

Johnny Holton caught and fumbled a pass by Carr in Giants' territory with 45 seconds left in the third quarter. But New York failed to move the markers on offense.

On the next offensive series, the Raiders drove 79 yards on eight plays in 4:42 to score on a 9-yard scamper by running back DeAndre Washington to increase the score 17-7 with 10:18 left to play.

Five minutes and two seconds later, tightend Engram caught a 10-yard TD pass from Smith out of the shotgun on an 88-yard drive that left the Giants trailing 17-14. With plenty of time left on the clock, the Raiders had to counter with another score, and they did it in a major way.

On a short pass from Carr at Oakland’s 17-yard line, Cordarrelle Patterson ran for 59 yards to the Giants 9-yard line. Three players later, on 3rd down and 9, Carr found Holton on a short pass up the middle for the Raiders last score of the game with 3:31 remaining.

The Giants managed to score on a 52-yard field goal by Aldrick Rosas with 1:43 left to play. New York used both of its timeouts to stop the clock. But the Raiders were able to convert a first down on a 2-yard run by Washington. Carr took the knee with 37 seconds remaining to end the game.

The Raiders will play the Chiefs next Sunday in Kansas City.

“We want to continue stacking these wins,” said Raiders linebacker Navorro Bowman. “I understand that we have a shot. This game was a serious game for me because I understand how guys respond to teams that aren’t going well in the NFL. Playing good football in December is really what you need.”

By T. Ray Harvey | PA Public Information Officer and Photographic Artist

Press Information

OAKLAND RAIDERS:

• WR Amari Cooper was sidelined this week. Cordarrelle Patterson started in Cooper’s place.

• Michael Crabtree served his one-game suspension for fighting last week in the Denver Bronco's game and will return for the Raiders’ game against the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday, Dec. 10.

• Khalil Mack has registered a sack for the third-straight week, the second time this season after doing so in Weeks 2, 3, and 4.

• The Raiders’ defense held the Giants to exactly 200 net yards passing, which marks the second-consecutive week they deduced teams to 200 or under, and the first time since Weeks 13 and 14 of the 2014 season.

NEW YORK GIANTS:

The Giants, who made the playoff last year, came to Oakland with a lot questions swirling around the team. Head coach Ben McAdoo has been on the hot seat for several weeks and the loss to the Raiders may have him standing on a cliff by his lonesome.

After the game, McAdoo said as long as he has access to the Giants’ practice facility he’s still going to work to punch the time card. There was no word of his firing. Therefore, that question is moot.

“I’m going to coach this team as long my key card works,” McAdoo said. “I’ve got a great group of players and coaches. Got a great staff to work with. I’m going to show up to work tomorrow and get this thing cleaned up and move on to the next one.”

Speaking of his players, defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul is one Giant that support McAdoo to the fullest. The Giants were hit with a slew of injuries early in the season, which caused the downturn to losses.

“Honestly, at the end of the day, McAdoo is a great coach, man,” Pierre-Paul said. “People giving him a hard time. But we did go to the playoffs last year. Injuries occur and you can’t blame a coach for that.”

* On Monday, Dec. 4, the Giants fired embattled coach Ben McAdoo. The Giants also dismissed general manager Jerry Reese. Steve Spagnuolo was elevated as interim head coach, and Eli Manning was immediately reinstated as starting quarterback.

T. Ray (Antonio) Harvey is a Public Information Officer and Photo Artist for Publicity Agents. Harvey is also the author of The HOMICIDAL HANDYMAN OF OAK PARK: MORRIS SOLOMON JR.