TE Richard Gordon recovers a fumble on special teams. Photo by Tony Gonzales
TEAM NOTES
The Raiders fell at Carolina, 17-6, marking the team's fifth and final game in the Eastern Time Zone this season.
The Raider defense limited the Panthers, the NFL's No. 9 ranked rushing attack to 112 yards on the ground. Carolina averaged 4.0 yards per carry, below its 4.3 season average entering the contest.
The Raiders turned a third-quarter interception by LB Miles Burris into a field goal, marking the 13th time this season that the Silver and Black has scored points following a takeaway.
Burris became the seventh Raider, and the first non-defensive back, to record an interception this season. He joined S Matt Giordano (2), CB Joselio Hanson (2), CB Phillip Adams (2), DB Michael Huff (2), S Tyvon Branch and CB Pat Lee.
Sunday's game was the fourth straight in which the Raiders defense has recorded an interception.
A week after recording a season-high four sacks vs. Kansas City on Dec. 16, the Raiders defense posted two sacks, with DT Desmond Bryant, LB Miles Burris, DE Andre Carter and DT Tommy Kelly each credited with a half-sack. The Raiders have nine sacks in their last three games.
Sunday's game marked the second straight contest in which the Silver and Black did not score a touchdown. It is the first time the Raiders have gone two games without getting into the end zone since Week 3 and Week 4 of the 2009 season.
INDIVIDUAL NOTES
QB Carson Palmer completed all three of his pass attempts for 31 yards before leaving the game with injured ribs in the first quarter.
Palmer became the second quarterback in franchise history to top 4,000 yards passing in a season, finishing the day with 4,018. Rich Gannon was the first Raiders quarterback to pass for 4,000 yards in a season, throwing for 4,689 yards in 2002.
QB Matt Leinart saw his first significant action of the season, completing 16-of-32 pass attempts for 115 yards. Leinart previously saw duty in the fourth quarter at Baltimore on Nov. 11, attempting just one pass.
For Leinart, his 32 attempts were the most since he had 37 pass attempts as a member of the Arizona Cardinals vs. Seattle on Sept. 16, 2007. His 16 completions marked the most for Leinart since he connected 21 times at Tennessee on Nov. 27, 2009.
QB Terrelle Pryor saw action for the second straight week, recording his first career catch for 22 yards, after taking the snap from the wild cat formation, lateraling to Palmer, and then receiving a pass back from Palmer.
Pryor also recorded his first-career completion, connecting with FB Marcel Reece for a 5-yard gain in the fourth quarter.
WR Rod Streater posted two catches for 16 yards, giving him 35 receptions on the season. Streater's season total marks the most for a Raiders rookie since TE Zach Miller had 44 catches in 2007, and surpassed WR Louis Murphy's 34 catches in 2009 as the most by a Raiders rookie WR over the past decade.
FB Marcel Reece totaled a team-high four receptions for 18 yards. It marked the ninth time this season that Reece has totaled four-or-more catches in a game.
TE Brandon Myers recorded three catches for 10 yards, increasing his season receptions total to 75, the most by a Raider since WR Jerry Porter totaled 76 catches in 2005.
Myers' receptions are the most by a Raiders tight end since Todd Christensen totaled 95 catches in 1986.
Myers recorded a catch in his 16th consecutive game, a streak that dates back to the 2011 season finale. He is the only Raider to post a reception in every game this season.
K Sebastian Janikowski was perfect on two field-goal attempts, hitting from 21 and 31 yards out.
Janikowski has now converted 54 consecutive field goals from 40 yards or less, having last missed such an attempt on Sept. 26, 2010, at Arizona.
Over a longer stretch from 40 yards or less, Janikowski has hit 58 of his last 59 attempts since missing a 35-yarder vs. Denver on Dec. 2, 2007.
LB Miles Burris recorded his first-career interception, picking off a Cam Newton pass in the third quarter to set up a Raider field-goal drive.
Burris' pick snapped a streak of 176 pass attempts without an interception for Carolina's Cam Newton.
LB Philip Wheeler was credited with a pass defensed on Burris' interception, tipping a pass that was intended for Panthers WR Steve Smith.
WR Denarius Moore had three receptions, marking his fourth straight game with multiple receptions and giving him 50 catches on the year.
Moore is just the second Raiders wide receiver since 2007 to reach 50 catches in a season, joining teammate Darrius Heyward-Bey, who totaled 64 catches in 2011.
RB Darren McFadden rushed for 33 yards on 17 carries, and totaled three receptions for 15 yards. His 40 receptions are seven shy of his career high set during the 2010 season.
WR Derek Hagan, inactive for the past two contests, returned to action and hauled in a 19-yard pass in the second quarter from Leinart. Hagan now has 20 catches for 259 yards on the season.
P Shane Lechler placed four punts inside the 20-yard line, marking a season high and falling just one short of his career high of five, accomplished three times, most recently on Nov. 15, 2009, vs. Kansas City.
Lechler's total was his most since placing four punts inside the 20-yard line on Oct. 3, 2010, vs. Houston.
Lechler has recorded four-or-more punts inside the 20-yard line 14 times during his career.
DT Desmond Bryant shared a second-quarter sack with DT Tommy Kelly, giving Bryant sacks in three straight games, the longest stretch in his career.
Kelly and DE Andre Carter, who shared a first-quarter sack with LB Miles Burris, each notched sacks in their second consecutive game.
Burris increased his season sack total to 1 1/2, marking the most for a Raiders rookie linebacker since Eric Barton had three sacks during the 1999 season.
CB Chimdi Chekwa forced a third-quarter fumble in punt coverage that was recovered by TE Richard Gordon.
Chekwa was credited with two tackles on special teams.
The forced fumble marked a career-first for Chekwa, who was promoted to the active roster from the practice squad prior to the Raiders Week 15 contest vs. Kansas City.
The fumble recovery marked a career-first for Gordon, who entered the contest ranked second on the team with 10 special teams tackles.
S Mike Mitchell took a lateral from CB Phillip Adams on a second-quarter punt return for 2 yards, giving Mitchell his first-career return.
Adams matched a career high with two passes defensed. It marked the third time this season that Adams has recorded multiple passes defensed in a game.
OL Tony Bergstrom saw significant action at RG in place of an injured Mike Brisiel, who left the game with a head injury.
Inactive for the game were RB Jeremy Stewart, LB Rolando McClain, DE David Tollefson, OL Lucas Nix, T Willie Smith, WR Juron Criner and DT Richard Seymour.
