Running Back Marshawn Lynch
The Raiders beat the Titans to earn their third consecutive road opener, after defeating the Saints last season by a score of 35-34, and the Browns in Week 3 of 2015, 27-20.
The victory also marks the second consecutive season the team has started 1-0. The last time the Silver and Black began 1-0 in consecutive seasons was in 2001 and 2002, when the team went to the playoffs and reached the Super Bowl the following season.
The Raiders now have a six-game advantage over the Titans in the overall series, leading 26-20.
Today marks the third consecutive victory against the Titans, also the third straight in Tennessee. The two previous victories over Tennessee came in 2015, 24-21, and in 2016 by a score of 17-10.
The Raiders start 1-0 against AFC opponents after finishing 9-3 against the conference in 2016.* *
Game Themes
K Giorgio Tavecchio became the first kicker in NFL history to make two 50-yard field goals in an NFL debut.
WR Seth Robertsscored to improve team's record to 10-0 when he scores a touchdown.
QB Derek Carrtossed two touchdowns in 2017 debut, his 26th career such game.
Starters - Offense
WR Derek Carr
T Donald Penn
LG Kelechi Osemele
C Rodney Hudson
RG Gabe Jackson
RT Marshall Newhouse
TE Jared Cook
WR Amari Cooper
QB Derek Carr
RB Marshawn Lynch
TE Lee Smith
**Starters - Defense
**
DE Mario Edwards Jr.
DT Eddie Vanderdoes
NT Justin Ellis
DE Khalil Mack
SLB Bruce Irvin
MLB Marquel Lee
WLB Cory James
LCB David Amerson
RCB Sean Smith
FS Reggie Nelson
SS Karl Joseph
Raider Debuts
RB Marshawn Lynch
Starting in his Raiders debut, Lynch's first official carry went for 14 yards on the opening drive.
Lynch recorded a game-high 76 rushing yards in his first game out of retirement on 18 carries (4.2 avg.) with a 14-yard long. Lynch added a 16-yard reception from QB Derek Carr.
TE Jared Cook
Cook's first reception as a Raider was a 22-yard grab on the opening drive and helped lead the offense to a 7-0 lead.
Cook finished the day with five catches for 56 yards (11.2 avg.) with a 22-yard long.
Highlighting NFL Debuts
LB Marquel Lee
Lee manned the middle of the defense for the Raiders in his NFL debut, recording two tackles.
S Shalom Luani
On the opening kickoff of 2017, the Titans attempted an onside kick. Rookie safety Luani recovered the ball and gave the offense the ball at midfield, allowing the team to go 50 yards in four plays for the opening score.
LB Nicholas Morrow
On third-and-2 from the Raiders' 7-yard line, Morrow stopped RB DeMarco Murray for a 1-yard loss to hold the Titans to a field goal as the game entered the fourth quarter.
**K Giorgio Tavecchio
**
Tavecchio scored his first points in his NFL debut when booting the opening PAT through the uprights following the Raiders' first score of the ball game.
On the Raiders' second offensive series, Tavecchio capped a 15-play, 73-yard drive lasting 7:03 with a 20-yard field goal. It marks the first time a kicker not named K Sebastian Janikowski has split the uprights on a field goal attempt since Week 17 of the 2001 season (Brad Daluiso).
At the conclusion of the first half, Tavecchio booted a 52-yarder through the uprights to give the team a 13-10 heading into the third quarter. Tavecchio ended the first half making one PAT and going 2-of-2 on field goal attempts (20,52).
Tavecchio is the first Raiders kicker other than Janikowski to make a field goal from 50-plus yards (52) since Joe Nedney in 1999 and also tied the longest field goal by an undrafted player in Raiders' history.
With 4:36 left to play in the third quarter, Tavecchio booted his second field goal from 50-plus yards, culminating an 8-play, 29-yard drive lasting 4:11. His field goal gave the Raiders a 16-10 lead.
Tavecchio is the second Raider all-time to record two 50-plus field goals in a game.
His 52-yarders are the longest field goals by a Raider in his first game and the third longest by a Raider in his first year in the league, behind Sebastian Janikowski (54, Oct. 29, 2000) and George Fleming (54, Oct. 1, 1961).
Tavecchio put the game on ice with 1:09 to play in the fourth quarter, pushing the contest to a two-possession game after making a 43-yard field goal.
Tavecchio was 4-of-4 in the contest with two PATs. He became the first player in NFL history to make two field goals of 50-plus yards in his NFL debut.
DT Eddie Vanderdoes
Recorded one tackle and one quarterback hurry in his NFL debut
Highlights
QB Derek Carr
Carr opened the game 3-of-3 passing for 36 yards, leading the offense to an opening-drive score when he found WR Amari Cooper for an 8-yard touchdown.
Carr connected with WR Seth Roberts early in the fourth quarter on a 19-yard pass to give the Raiders a 23-13 lead. The touchdown capped a 7-play, 70-yard drive lasting 3:02.
Carr posted a passer rating of 114.3 in the season opener, marking his 14th game with a passer rating of 100-plus. His 14 such career games tied him for seventh-most in club history with Jay Schroeder.
His passer rating also marks his highest in a season opener, besting his previous high of 98.5 that he posted against the New Orleans Saints in 2016.
Carr finished the game throwing for 262 yards on 22-of-32 passing with two touchdowns and zero interceptions for a passer rating of 114.3.
WR Amari Cooper
On the opening possession, Cooper hauled in two passes for 14 yards and a touchdown, culminating a 4-play, 50-yard drive lasting 2:11 to give the Raiders their first touchdown of the season.
The red zone touchdown for Cooper was his first since 2015, after leading the NFL in 2016 with five touchdowns of 30-or-more yards.
Cooper cracked the Top-20 in franchise history for most receiving yards with his 23-yard reception in the fourth quarter. His career total sits at 2,285.
Cooper finished the day with five receptions for 62 yards (12.4 avg.) with a 23-yard long and one touchdown.
WR Michael Crabtree
Crabtree made his first reception of 2017, gaining 25 yards over the middle. He has now hauled in at least one pass in all 112 career games.
Crabtree added three more receptions before the end of the first half, giving him 97 career three-reception games and 78 career four-reception games.
Crabtree led all receivers with 65 yards in the first half of play and finished with a game-high 83 yards on six catches (13.8 avg.) with a 25-yard long.
DE Mario Edwards Jr.
With 8:55 to play in the third quarter, Edwards Jr. and DT Justin Ellis brought down QB Marcus Mariota for a 1-yard loss on second-and-11 for the Raiders' first sack of the season.
Edwards Jr. was credits with 0.5 sack on the play, his first sack since Dec. 6, 2015 after missing 16 total games in his first two seasons due to injury.
Edwards Jr. finished the day with three tackles (one solo), one quarterback hurry and 0.5 sack.
P Marquette King
The NFL's leader in punts traveling at least 50 yards in 2016 booted his first of the 2017 campaign on his first attempt. His 51-yard boot pinned the Titans on their 2-yard line following the Raiders' third offensive series.
King punted a total of three times for 158 yards (52.7 avg.) with a 57-yard long and one downed inside the 20-yard line.
WR Seth Roberts
On first-and-10 from the Tennessee 19-yard line, Roberts hauled in his fourth touchdown reception in three games against the Titans and gave the team a 10-point lead with 12:04 remaining in the game. The catch was Roberts' lone reception of the game.
Other Notables
S Karl Joseph
Deflected a pass in the end zone with 1:04 left in the second quarter, forcing the Titans to settle for a field goal.
Finished the day with a game-high nine tackles (six solo).
WR Cordarrelle Patterson In his Raiders debut, hauled in one reception for two yards, adding one rush for five yards and a 41-yard kick return on the game-clinching drive.
