The Oakland Raiders were unable to mount a comeback against their division rival in the final game of the regular season; here are the Game Notes presented by Microsoft Surface.
Raiders 15, Broncos 16
· The Raiders fall to the Broncos by a score of 15-16, finishing third in the AFC West with a 7-9 record.
· Oakland splits the season series against the Broncos, bringing the all-time regular season series to 64-53-2.
Starters - Offense
WR Zay Jones
LT Kolton Miller
LG Denzelle Good
C Rodney Hudson
RG Gabe Jackson
RT David Sharpe
TE Darren Waller
WR Tyrell Williams
WR Hunter Renfrow
QB Derek Carr
RB DeAndré Washington
Starters - Defense
DE Clelin Ferrell
DT Johnathan Hankins
DT Maurice Hurst
DE Maxx Crosby
WLB Tahir Whitehead
MLB Will Compton
SLB Kyle Wilber
CB Daryl Worley
CB Trayvon Mullen
FS Curtis Riley
SS Erik Harris
Raiders Themes
· QB Derek Carr recorded a season-high 391 passing yards and became the first quarterback in franchise history with multiple 4,000-yard campaigns (4,054).
· Carr surpassed Matt Ryan for second-most completions in NFL history through a player's first six seasons (2,120) and joined Matthew Stafford as the only players in NFL history with four campaigns of at least 350 completions (361) in their first six years in the NFL.
· DE Maxx Crosby became the first rookie since Joey Bosa (2016) with 10-plus sacks and 15-plus tackles for loss (16) in a single season, and surpassed Aaron Wallace (1990) for second-most sacks (10.0) by a rookie in franchise history.
· WR Hunter Renfrow surpassed Zach Miller for second-most receptions by a rookie in a single season in franchise history (49).
· TE Darren Waller became only the fifth player in franchise history to record at least 90 receptions in a single season and joins Amari Cooper (2015) and Jerry Rice (2002) as only Raiders with five 100-yard receiving games in a season since 2000.
· The rookie class led the NFL in total touchdowns (17) and total combined sacks (14.5).
Individual Highlights
- QB Derek Carr
o With 1:41 remaining in the contest, Carr orchestrated an eight-play, 53-yard drive culminating in a three-yard TD pass to WR Hunter Renfrow to cut the Broncos lead to 15-16.
o On the touchdown pass, Carr broke a tie with Andy Dalton for sixth-most TD passes (143) through a player's first six seasons.
o Carr ended the day completing 29-of-46 attempts (63 percent) for 391 yards and one TD for a passer rating of 97.3.
o Car passed for 300-or-more yards (391) for the first time this season and 19th time in his career. The Raiders are 12-7 when Carr reaches the 300-yard mark.
o Carr joins Matthew Stafford as the only players in NFL history with four campaigns of at least 350 completions (361) in their first six years in the NFL.
o Carr surpassed Matt Ryan for second-most completions in NFL history through a player's first six seasons (totaling 2,120 in his career).
o With 391 passing yards in today's contest, Carr reached the 4,000-yard passing mark (4,054) on the season and becomes the first quarterback in franchise history with multiple 4,000-yard campaigns.
o Carr recorded the eighth-highest single-season completion percentage (70.4) in NFL history among qualified passers.
o Carr finished with the second-best passer rating (100.8) in Raiders franchise history, trailing on Ken Stabler's 103.4 passer rating set in 1976.
- DE Maxx Crosby
o Crosby combined with DT Johnathan Hankins to take down QB Drew Lock for a loss of nine yards on 3rd-and-4 with 4:34 remaining in the first quarter, forcing Denver to punt.
o With 7:09 remaining in the fourth, Crosby recorded a sack of QB Drew Lock, forcing a fumble which was recovered by the Broncos.
o Crosby's 1.5 sacks surpass Aaron Wallace for second-most sacks (10) by a rookie in franchise history.
o Crosby finished with five tackles (four solo), including one for loss, 1.5 sacks, one pass defensed and one forced fumble.
o Became the first rookie since Joey Bosa (2016) with 10-plus sacks and 15-plus tackles for loss (16) in a single season.
· WR Hunter Renfrow
o Renfrow finished with 102 yards on six receptions (17.0 avg.) with one touchdown.
o Recorded consecutive 100-yard receiving contests for the first time in his career and became the first Raiders rookie to accomplish the feat since 2015 (last: Amari Cooper, Weeks 2-3).
o Surpassed TE Zach Miller for second-most receptions (49) in franchise history by a rookie in a single season.
- TE Darren Waller
o Waller recorded four receptions for 101 yards in the first quarter, including a career-long 75-yard catch which marked the Raiders longest play from scrimmage this season.
o His 101 receiving yards mark the most receiving yards in a single quarter by a tight end this season. (Previously: Mark Andrews, 90).
o Waller ended the day with six receptions for 107 yards (17.8 avg.).
o Waller recorded at least 100 receiving yards (107) for the fifth time this season, breaking a club record for most such games in a single season among tight ends.
o Waller joins Amari Cooper (2015) and Jerry Rice (2002) as only Raiders with five 100-yard receiving games in a season since 2000.
o Waller became only the fifth player in franchise history to record at least 90 receptions in a single season; joining Tim Brown, Todd Christensen, Charlie Garner and Jerry Rice.
o Finishes the season ranked first among tight ends in the NFL in yards after the catch (570), second in receiving yards (1,145) and second in receptions (90).
Additional Notes
- K Daniel Carlson tied a single-game career high with three field goals, connecting on FG attempts of 23,33, and 28 yards.
- P A.J. Cole placed two punts inside the 20-yard line, tying Shane Lechler for third-most punts inside the 20-yard line in a single season in franchise history (33).
- DE Clelin Ferrell recorded his first career fumble recovery.
- RB DeAndré Washington totaled a career-high 132 scrimmage yards. Set a season-high with 55 receiving yards on eight receptions (6.9 avg), adding 77 rush yards on 17 carries (4.5 avg.).
