There weren’t many expecting the Las Vegas Raiders to compete with the Baltimore Ravens in Week 2. In fact, as Raiders.com took note of, not a single analyst at ESPN, NFL.com, CBS Sports, Sports Illustrated or Pro Football Talk picked Las Vegas to win.
The Raiders defied the odds and won 26-23 on a late fourth quarterback field goal from Daniel Carlson. Players have heard a lot of the detractors and they were happy to talk some trash after the game.
“Let ‘em talk that [expletive],” defensive end Maxx Crosby told owner Mark Davis after the game, per a September 15 X post from The Athletic’s Tashan Reed. “We gon’ back it up. We gon’ back it up. Let’s [expletive] go!”
Quarterback Gardner Minshew also had words for the people who don’t believe in the Raiders.
“I don’t care what they doubt, we believe it,” Minshew told CBS Sports following the game. We’re gonna continue to get better. We got the right people to do it. … As long as we got that, we’re gonna be alright.”
The Raiders didn’t always look like they were going to come out of Baltimore with a win. The team was down 23-13 heading into the fourth quarter before the offense started to get into rhythm. Las Vegas scored 13 unanswered points en route to the win with both the offense and defense playing high-level football.
“I don’t care what they doubt, we believe it… We’re gonna continue to get better.”
– Gardner Minshew to anyone who doubts the Raiders | @AJRoss_TV | @Raiders
Maxx Crosby Had a Big Day
The Raiders offense stepped up late in the game but the only reason they were still in a position to come back was due to the defense. Crosby had a huge game as he finished with 2.0 sacks and four tackles for loss.
He had a somewhat quiet game in Week 1 against the Los Angeles Chargers but was borderline unblockable against Baltimore. Crosby was a finalist for Defensive Player of the Year last season but didn’t bring home the trophy. If he keeps playing at the level he did against the Ravens, he’ll be in the mix again at the end of the season.
What’s Next for Las Vegas Raiders?
As previously mentioned, not many expected the Raiders to win this week. Instead of going down 0-2 heading into their home opener, they’re now 1-1 with a winnable game against the Carolina Panthers in Week 3. In two games, the Panthers are 0-2 with a combined score of 73-13.
Barring a disaster, the Raiders should get up to 2-1 following Week 3. The win over the Ravens was massive as not many accounted for Las Vegas to win the game. The next three games against the Panthers, Cleveland Browns and Denver Broncos are very winnable before the schedule gets really difficult.
The Raiders can now afford to drop one of the next three games due to the Ravens win but heading into the Week 6 matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers 4-1 would be massive for the team’s playoff chances. There are still some major issues on offense as the team averaged 1.6 yards a carry rushing but the passing game seems to be improving. The defense is off to a good start so if the offense can be more consistent, the Raiders will be a tough team to beat.
