Raiders-Seahawks: 7 things we learned from another walk-off win

Well, that was one of the most memorable Las Vegas Raiders games we’ve seen since ... last week. Yep, it was another overtime thriller as the Raiders walked off the Seattle Seahawks 40-34. Let’s look at some keys to the game:

Overtime magic:

Last week, it was Davante Adams with a 35-yard touchdown catch to beat the Denver Broncos on the road. Sunday, it was Josh Jacobs with an 86-yard touchdown win late in overtime to give the Raiders another road overtime victory. Both of these were once-a-season type moments and we got them in back-to-back weeks. The Raiders went to the playoffs last year because they were 4-0 in overtime. They are 2-1 in overtime this season with six games to go. At 4-7, the Raiders have still a big hole to climb out of, but they’re making it fun. That wasn’t something we could say a couple of weeks ago.

Milestone for Jacobs:

Jacobs will be remembered for the overtime play, but he had a monster game. He had 229 yards rushing, which is a team single-game record. He had 303 yards from scrimmage which is one of the best in NFL history. He now has 1,159 rushing yards on the season. It leads the NFL. It is the third time in four years that Jacobs has ran for more than 1,000 yards joining Marcus Allen and Mark van Eeghen for the most in franchise history.

Jacobs is a free agent in the offseason after the Raiders declined his fifth year option. Sunday was Jacobs’ fifth 100-yard rushing game of the season and his 14th of his career and its’ tied for the fourth most in team history, according to the team. Jacobs is going to cash in whether it’s from the Raiders or on the open market.

Third-down success:

The Raiders’ had some big offensive moments and a lot of it was spurred by their success on third down. they converted on third down eight of 14 times. It may be buried by all the splash plays, but it was a big reason why they won the game.

Some fortune:

Two big official’s calls went the Raiders way late in regulation. An apparent Jacobs’ fumble near the goal line with about two minute left was ruled to be forward progress. Also, in the final minute, the officials overruled a DK Metcalf catch after a long review. Had the play stood, the Seahawks may have been able to try a game-winning field goal.

Tough start:

On the first play from scrimmage, Raiders’ quarterback Derek Carr overthrew wide receiver Davante Adams and the ball was returned inside the red zone. Two plays later, the Seahawks struck for a score. Carr threw another interception later in the first half and Seattle turned it into a field goal to take a 10-7 lead. The Raiders had been securing the ball well coming into the game. It had committed just seven turnovers in the first 10 games (four in the past nine games). it was a league low.

Good run defense:

While he had two nice touchdown runs, the Raiders held Seattle rookie running back Kenneth Walker in check. He had just 26 rushing yards on 14 carries. It wasn’t a great day for the Las Vegas defense, but this was another reason why they won the game.

Weather break:

The forecast all week called for rain all day Sunday. But it turned out to be a decent day in the Pacific Northwest and rain was avoided. It was crisp, in the mid-40s, but it could have been a lot worse in Seattle. With just two more road games, the Raiders will play outside just once more this season, but it could be a doozy. They play at Pittsburgh on Christmas Eve night. But, on this day, the Raiders got a weather break.