TE Mychal Rivera hauls in a TD pass from QB Derek Carr. Photo by Tony Gonzales.
The Raiders defeated the Seattle Seahawks 41-31 in the 66th all-time meeting (33-33) between the two teams. With the victory, the Raiders finish the preseason at 2-2, the best mark under Head Coach Dennis Allen, improving the franchise's all-time preseason mark to 128-123-1. The Raiders are now 4-8 in the preseason under Coach Allen.
The contest marks the ninth straight time the Raiders closed out the preseason against Seattle. Oakland is now 2-7 in that span and 2-0 at O.co Coliseum in those games, with the last win coming at home on Sept. 2, 2010 (27-24).
The Raiders defense featured three players who have started in all four preseason contests this year: DE [LaMarr Woodley" title="Pat Sims" />
" title="Tyvon Branch" />
" title="TJ Carrie" />
" title="Neiko Thorpe" />
" title="Usama Young" />! started and saw his first action of the 2014 campaign.
The offensive unit featured five players who started in all four preseason contests, including four offensive linemen: C/G [Stefen Wisniewski" title="Khalif Barnes" />
" title="Donald Penn" />
" title="Austin Howard" />! and TE Mychal Rivera.
The Raiders' 41 points are the most in a preseason contest since the team scored 43 in a win over Arizona on Sept. 3, 1999.
The Raiders' 21 first-quarter points equal the second-highest regular-season total in franchise history, which came on Sept. 29, 2002 vs. Ten. The highest first-quarter total was 24 points, which came vs. Den. on Oct. 24, 2010. The 21 points are also the most scored in a single quarter since the Raiders put up 22 points in the fourth against Tampa Bay, Nov. 4, 2012.
The Raiders' 35 first-half points are three shy of the franchise's regular-season record for points in a half, 38 vs. Den. (10/24/2010). Twenty-eight of those points were unanswered, mirroring another game against Seattle (9/8/2002), in which the Raiders scored 21 unanswered in the first half.
The Raiders scored on their first possession for the second straight game, as rookie QB Derek Carr led the team on a methodical 12-play, 68-yard drive (6:10) that was capped off by a 5-yard TD run from RB [Latavius Murray!, who also opened the drive with a 38-yard kickoff return.
The two 1-play TD drives in the first quarter were made possible by three of the Raiders' top rookies. After rookie CB [Keith McGill" title="Denarius Moore" />! for a 36-yard TD strike. Carr threw his second TD pass in as many plays, a 20-yard strike to TE Mychal Rivera, after rookie CB TJ Carrie returned a punt 45 yards to start the offense in the red zone.
Two of the Raiders' five touchdowns came on third downs, the first when QB Derek Carr connected with WR Denarius Moore for 11 yards on third-and-6 and the second a connection from QB [Matt McGloin" title="Brice Butler" />! for 15 yards on third-and-7.
The offense reached the end zone on all three of its red zone possessions (3-for-3, 100 percent). The Raiders finished the 2014 preseason 8-of-11 (72.7 percent) in the red zone.
The Raiders average starting field position was their own 39-yard line, three yards better than the team's average against Green Bay last week and six yards better than the highest average from all of 2013, which came against Jacksonville on Sept. 15.
After an opening-drive TD by Seattle, the Raiders' defense held the Seahawks to four consecutive three-and-outs in the first quarter to open the game, including the Seahawks' final two drives of the first quarter. The Raiders did the same last week against Green Bay, holding the Packers to consecutive three-and-out drives to end the first quarter.
The Raiders excelled on special teams in the game, bringing back three returns of 38 yards or more, two by rookies, which all led to TD drives. RB Latavius Murray brought his first kickoff return back 38 yards to set up the Raiders' first scoring drive, rookie CB TJ Carrie had his second 40-yard-plus return of the year with a 45-yard punt return that set up the Raiders in the red zone and rookie RB George Atkinson III took a second-quarter kickoff out of the end zone to the 45-yard line.
Individual Notes: Offense
QB Derek Carr earned his first NFL start and led the team into the end zone on each of his four drives. In just over one quarter of play, Carr went 11-of-13 passing for 143 yards and three TDs with a 152.1 passer rating. That QB rating would be the fifth highest ever recorded in the first-half by a Raider with at least 11 pass attempts.
Rookie QB Derek Carr led the Raiders on four consecutive TD drives to open the game, including three in the first quarter. A Raider QB has thrown for three TD passes in the first half only eight times in franchise history, the last time coming on Dec. 19, 2004 when Kerry Collins threw three vs. Ten.
On two of Carr's scoring drives, he totaled four third-down conversions. In the first quarter, Carr converted on third-and-10 twice with a 13-yard pass to WR Brice Butler and an 11-yard connection with WR Denarius Moore, who made the catch one-handed against Seahawks CB Richard Sherman. On his second-quarter, eight-play, 61-yard drive (4:29), Carr hit TE Mychal Rivera for 27 yards and Moore in the end zone for an 11-yard score on third downs.
Carr now has four TD passes this preseason, marking the first time since 2010 (Bruce Gradkowski) that a Raider QB has thrown for at least four TDs in preseason action. QB Matt McGloin would later join the pair on that list with his fourth TD pass of the preseason, a 15-yard pass to WR Brice Butler in the second quarter.
RB Latavius Murray earned his first start at running back and played a huge role in the Raiders' opening scoring drive, returning the kickoff 38 yards and then rushing for 26 yards on four carries, including a 5-yard TD run to cap off the drive. Murray finished with eight rushes for 41 yards and one touchdown.
WR Denarius Moore led the Raiders in receiving, catching three passes for 58 yards (19.3 avg.) and two TDs. Moore became the third Raider WR to record multiple TDs in the preseason under Head Coach Dennis Allen (Brice Butler, 4, 2014; Juron Criner, 2, 2012).
QB Matt McGloin threw his fourth TD pass of this preseason, all to WR Brice Butler. McGloin joined Carr as the first Raider QBs since Bruce Gradkowski (four in 2010) to throw at least four TDs in the preseason. McGloin finished the game 10-of-19 passing with 105 yards and one TD.
WR Brice Butler recorded his fourth TD reception of the preseason on a 15-yard strike from McGloin in the second quarter. Since 2000, Butler's four preseason receiving TDs are the most by any Raider. Mondriel Fulcher (2001) and Doug Gabriel (2004) each had three TDs in a single preseason.
Rookie RB George Atkinson III gained 63 yards on eight carries (7.9 avg.), leading the team. Twenty-six of his yards came on one carry in the third quarter.
Individual Notes: Defense
S Tyvon Branch sacked QB Tarvaris Jackson for a 6-yard loss, bringing on third-and-9 for the Seahawks, which led to the second consecutive three-and-out of the game forced by the Raiders defense. Branch has seven career sacks, currently fifth on the Raiders' all-time list (since sacks became an official statistic in 1982) by a DB.
CB Neiko Thorpe led the defense with eight solo tackles.
Individual Notes: Special Teams
Rookie CB TJ Carrie broke off his second long punt return of this preseason with a 45-yard return in the first quarter, setting up Derek Carr's second consecutive 1-play TD drive.
RB George Atkinson III led the team with 89 kickoff return yards on three returns, including a 45-yard return in the second quarter, the longest of the preseason for Oakland.
RB Latavius Murray brought the first kickoff of the game back 38 yards in the first quarter, the second longest kickoff return for the Raiders this preseason and Murray's second of 25 yards or more.
K Giorgio Tavecchio scored his first points in the Silver and Black, kicking five extra points and adding two field goals, both for 47 yards.
