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For the second week in a row, the Raiders opened the game with a 10-0 lead. But this time, they didn't give up that lead before the half. They extended it, heading in to the half up 17-3.
In the process they had Amari Cooper go over 100 yards for the second-straight game -- catching five passes for 103 yards - had their first sack of the season (Ray Ray Armstrong), and added a touchdown in the final seconds on a pass from Derek Carr to Seth Roberts.
At just under 2:00 minutes, the score was 10-0 and the Browns were at first and goal at the one-yard line, threatening to cut the lead to 10-7. But the Raiders held the Browns out of the end zone, forcing them to settle for a field goal. Then the Raiders took the ball right down the field and scored a touchdown of their own - an 11-point swing.
Latavius Murray got things going to begin the second half, bursting through the line on the first drive to pick up 54 yards. He picked up a key third down later in the drive to put the Raiders in first down at the Browns 20-yard line. They were unable to punch it in this time, though, settling for a short field goal and a 20-3 lead.
The Browns would close the gap, though. Thanks mostly to the Raiders severe weakness against tight ends. The Browns kept going to the tight end well, capping it off with a 28-yard touchdown connection from Josh McCown to Gary Barnidge. That gave Barnidge a career-high 105 yards and a touchdown.
Just as the Raiders did the first time the Browns scored, they answered quickly. The big play was Marcel Reece taking a short pass and going 55 yards to set the Raiders up in scoring position. A short pass to Seth Roberts followed by a Latavius Murray first down run put them in first and goal at the 8-yard-line.
That 8 yards was gone in one play when Murray burst up the middle for the touchdown and the Raiders took a 27-10 lead to begin the fourth quarter. That drive also put Murray over 100 yard on the day with 21 carries for 127 yards (6.0 yards per carry) and a touchdown.
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The Browns came back down the field to again threaten to close the gap, but could only get a field goal out of it. Helping to stop the Browns was two sacks from Khalil Mack on the drive - the second was a strip sack on third down which the Browns recovered, allowing them to add the field goal to make it a 27-13 Raiders lead.
On the ensuing drive, Amari Cooper coughed up the ball to give it right back to the Browns at the Oakland 43-yard-line. The Browns take full advantage this time, driving the short field to score a touchdown on a short pass from McCown to Travis Benjamin. The score made things uncomfortable, with the Raiders leading by just one score at 27-20 and just over six minutes remaining.
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After a three-and-out by the Raiders offense, they were forced to punt. But on Travis Benjamin -- the man who caught the Browns last touchdown -- muffed the punt and the Raiders took over in Browns territory. They again went three-and-out and were forced to punt but this time had much better field position with 2:37 left on the clock.
A fantastic punt from Marquette King and a head up play by Taiwan Jones to keep it out of the end zone put the Browns backed up against their own goal line to start their crucial drive. They would need to go 98 yards in just over 2:00.
The Browns were making it interesting, driving into Raiders territory. That all ended when Charles Woodson swooped in for the interception on a long McCown pass attempt to seal the Raiders win.
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