Raiders-Browns recap: Wasn’t pretty but who cares?

This game won’t be remembered for brilliant play.

But this was just about survival and that’s what the Las Vegas Raiders, playing without five starters (including their very best players Maxx Crosby and Davante Adams) did, outlasting the battered Cleveland Browns 20-16 in a game that went back and fourth and one that the mistake-prone Browns could have easily won.

But in the end, the Raiders are 2-2 and very much in the thick of it in the AFC. If the Raiders playoff playoff football it’s a win like this that could go a long way.

Run game finally shows:

Last week, Raiders coach Antonio Pierce said the Raiders had the worst running game in the league and he wasn’t lying. The Raiders running game was completely stymied in the first three weeks, but it came alive Sunday. The Raiders finished with 152 rushing yards and five ball carriers had, at least, 10 rushing yards. Backup running back Alexander Mattison flashed and had 60 yards on five carries. Starter Zamir White, who survived a fumble that was returned for a Cleveland touchdown in the fourth quarter, had 55 yards on 17 carries. This overall ground success has to continue next week in Denver.

Doing Crosby proud:

The Raiders had an extremely inexperienced pass-rush group Sunday with Maxx Crosby missing the first game of his career with a high-ankle sprain. Tyree Wilson and Charles Snowden started at defensive end with Maxx Crosby out. Janarius Robinson and K’Lavon Chassion also played. The Las Vegas pass-rush wasn’t great against a Cleveland offensive line that was playing without three starters. The Raiders had three sacks, but one of them sealed the game as Snowden dropped Deshaun Watson on fourth down in the red zone in the final minute of the game.

Browns’ mistakes were brutal:

The Browns aren’t very good and it showed. They exploded with a 10-0 lead into the second quarter, but they were awful as the Raiders scored 20 unanswered points. The Browns had a chance to win but their mistakes killed them. They included an interception bouncing off Amari Cooper’s chest (it would have been a big gainer, a missed extra point and a holding call that wiped out a go-ahead touchdown in the fourth quarter. And, of course, the the Browns’ final set of downs wasn’t a thing of beauty, either.

Minshew nothing special, nothing horrible, either:

Last week, there was briefly question about Gardner Minshew’s jobs security. That likely won’t be the case after this win. Minshew was far from perfect, but he wasn’t a problem, either even though he missed some opportunities. Getting help from the running game is big for Minshew.

Receivers without Adams:

Raiders’ superstar receiver Davante Adams is reportedly week-to-week with a hamstring injury, so his status for next week is up in the air. Fellow starter Jakobi Meyers had five catches for 49 yards and Tre Tucker added 41 yards on five catches. They may be needed next week.

Bowers’ numbers sag a bit:

First-round pick, tight end Brock Bowers led all NFL tight ends in receptions and yardage in the first two games. He has had just five catches for 60 yards in the past two games. But the Georgia product did have a nice run and some solid blocks Sunday. He’s doing his work.

Lose penalty battle:

The Raiders were penalized six times for 49 yards and lost the penalty battle for the first time this season. But considering the Browns (they were flagged five times for 38 yards) had a penalty that may have cost the game, I think the Raiders will take it.

Jack Jones doesn’t start:

The Raiders had usual nickel Nate Hobbs and Jakorian Bennett on the outside and Darnay Holmes playing nickel. It was his first action on defense as a Raider. It may have been a message to Jones, a starter. He entered the game in the second quarter, missing two Raiders’ defensive drives. Last week, Raiders coach Antonio Pierce famously said some players made “business decisions” in a big loss to the Panthers and the coach said the team would make “business decisions” as a result. Video showed Jones backing off of a tackle late in the game. This week, Pierce said they team would keep their decisions inhouse. Pierce apologized for his comments after Sunday’s game.

JPJ starts:

In what was not a surprise, second-round pick Jackson Powers-Johnson started at guard over Cody Whitehair. it was his first start. There is a chance Powers-Johnson doesn’t give up the job for the next decade. He loved to right guard in the fourth quarter when Dylan Parham hurt his Achilles. Whitehair came in and played at left guard.

Bad start:

Cleveland took more than nine minutes off the clock on the game’s opening drive and finish it with a touchdown, going 70 yards in 15 plays. The Browns’ offense, playing Sunday with two backup tackles, had scored a total of five touchdowns in the first 37 drives of the season. Watson who was pretty bad in the first three games, completed all eight of his pass attempts on the drive. The Browns led 10-0 after the first quarter. It was the first time the Browns scored 10 points in the first quarter in Watson’s 16 games with them.

Spillane produces:

Raiders linebacker Robert Spillane had his fourth game of 10 or more tackles. The pending free agent has had a strong start to the season.

Rough day for Cooper:

Cooper had a forgettable day In his first game against the team that drafted him. The No. 4 overall pick in the 2025 draft had a big gain bounce off his chest that was intercepted by Raiders safety Tre’von Moehrig that was a huge swing in the game in the third quarter. He later had a big penalty. Cooper had four catches for 35 yards. Of course, Cooper appeared to give Cleveland a go-ahead touchdown in the fourth on a long pass play, but it was wiped out by a holding penalty.

Nice starting debut:

Third-year safety Isaiah Pola-Mao made his first NFL start as he is playing for Marcus Epps, who is out for the rest of the season with a knee injury and he had a sack in the third quarter. He then had a huge pass breakup in the fourth quarter.

Nice drive:

New captain:
With Crosby out, defensive tackle Adam Butler served as a captain Sunday. He may be an under-the-radar player, but Butler is a big piece of this defense.

No-home field advantage again:

Last week, in the Raiders’ Allegiant Stadium season opener, few Carolina Panthers fans were in the building. That was rare in Las Vegas since fans have been allowed into the stadium starting in 2021. It was back to the usual enemy invasion saga Sunday as the stadium was filled with Browns’ orange. This was expected since Cleveland fans travel well and this was the Browns first trip to Las Vegas. The Raiders next home game is October 13 against Pittsburgh and it will likely be another heavy-Steelers’ fan presence. About 75 percent of the stadium was filled by Pittsburgh fans last season in a Steelers’ win.