Here are the game notes following the Oakland Raiders' 27-20 win on Monday Night Football against the Houston Texans, presented by Microsoft Surface.
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Raiders 27, Texans 20
The Raiders won 27-20 in Mexico City to bring their record to 8-2, their first such start since 2001 when they advanced to the AFC Divisional Round of the playoffs and the Silver and Black's first regular season victory during international play.
The Silver and Black have now recorded their first four-game winning streak since the 2002 season when the club made their last Super Bowl appearance.
The win marks the third win in the last four games against Houston, and brings the all-time series record to 4-6.
The Raiders improve their record against AFC opponents this season to 3-1, and now our in possession of first place in the AFC while holding the tiebreaker over the Patriots.
Oakland improves its all-time Monday Night Football record to 38-27-1, while earning the first ever international Monday Night Football victory in NFL history.
Game Themes
The Raiders, who gave up just three points in the opening quarter against the Texans, have allowed a league-low 19 points in the first quarter play this season. Oakland has allowed just six points in the last four games.
The Raiders offensive line registered a sack-free day for the fourth time this season. Oakland's pass protectors lead the NFL in total sacks allowed (11).
The running backs led the way for the Raiders' receiving game, hauling in 11 receptions for 199 yards on the evening.
**QB Derek Carr
**
The first touchdown of the game came on a 17-yard connection, QB Derek Carr to RB Jalen Richard, on the opening drive of the second quarter.
With his ninth completion of the game (941st of his career), Carr moved into third all-time for most completions in a player's first 42 career games.
Carr tied the game at 20 apiece early in the second quarter with a 75-yard touchdown pass to FB Jamize Olawale, the sixth touchdown pass of 50-yards-or-more of his career to tie him for eighth most by a Raider with Jim Plunkett.
On his third touchdown of the game, a 35-yard pass to WR Amari Cooperwith 4:51 left in the game, Carr surpassed 10,000 passing yards to become the 12th player in NFL history to do so in 42 games or less. Carr is just the eight Raider to eclipse 10,000 passing yards.
Carr recorded three touchdowns to become just the third Raider with 20 passing touchdowns in three straight seasons, joining Rich Gannon and Daryle Lamonica, who are both tied for first with four consecutive seasons.
Carr's three-touchdown game marked the 11th of his career, tying Tom Flores for fourth most in team history.
Carr's touchdown to Cooper marked his eighth game-winning drive in the fourth quarter/overtime since 2015, the second most in the NFL.
Carr finished the game with 295 passing yards on 21-of-31 attempts (67.7 percent) with three touchdowns and one interception for a passer rating of 117.0, marking the 11th time Carr has eclipsed a passer rating of 100.0.
RB Jalen Richard
On the opening play of the second quarter, RB Jalen Richard hauled in a QB Derek Carrpass for a 17-yard touchdown.
Richard's first career receiving touchdown capped off an eight-play, 75-yard drive that lasted 4:35.
Richard totaled three catches for 50 yards with one touchdown and a long of 29 yards.
**WR Amari Cooper
**
With the game tied at 20, WR Amari Coopertook a first-down pass 35 yards to the end zone with 4:51 remaining in the game. The touchdown gave the Raiders their fourth, fourth-quarter comeback of the year.
Cooper finished with four receptions for 57 yards and a touchdown.
FB Jamize Olawale
With 10:57 left in the game, FB Jamize Olawale set a new career high, grabbing a 75-yard touchdown reception from QB Derek Carr to even the score at 20 apiece. Olawale's touchdown reception was the longest by a Raiders running back since 1995.
Olawale owns the two longest passing plays of the season for Raiders with tonight's 75-yard touchdown reception and a 68-yard catch-and-run in Week 8 against the Buccaneers, his previous career long.
Olawale led both teams with 90 yards receiving on three catches.
DE Khalil Mack
For the first time in his career, DE Khalil Mackrecorded a sack in five consecutive weeks when he took down Brock Osweiler on the final play of the first half for a 9-yard loss. Mack now has seven sacks in his last five games, the most in the league during that span.
Mack finished the night with three total tackles and one sack.
**LB Malcolm Smith
**
LB Malcolm Smith recorded the first interception of the game and second Raiders takeaway when he picked off Brock Osweiler with 1:38 left in the first half.
The interception marked Smith's first of the season, with his last pick coming against the Chargers on Oct. 25, 2015.
Smith finished the night tying a game-high 10 total tackles (nine solo) with one interception and one pass defensed.
The 10 tackles notched by Smith are a 2016 best.
LB Bruce Irvin
LB Bruce Irvin recorded his third sack of the season, taking down Brock Osweiler for a 4-yard loss with 3:25 remaining in the fourth quarter.
Irvin tied a game-high 10 total tackles (nine solo), adding two tackles for loss and one sack.
Irvin's 10 tackles doubled his previous season high of five recorded on Oct. 16 against the Chiefs.
P Marquette King
With a punt of 51 yards in the first quarter and a 59-yarder in the second quarter, P Marquette Kingextended his league-leading punts of 50-yards-or-more to 23.
King punted three times for 159 yards (53.0 avg.) with 59-yard long and pinned the Texans inside the 20-yard line once.
**K Sebastian Janikowski
**
After the Raiders recorded the first touchdown of the game, RB Taiwan Jones recovered a muffed catch on the ensuing kickoff to give the Silver and Black the ball back at the Texans 19-yard line. Jones' recovery resulted in a 19-yard field goal by K Sebastian Janikowski, giving the Raiders a 10-3 advantage.
Janikowski record his second field goal of the night, a 20-yarder with 2:42 left in the third, to cap off a 12-yard, 73-yard drive lasting 5:53.
Janikowski finished with two field goals and three PATs, totaling nine points on the evening.
