Raiders winners and losers in 40-34 OT victory vs. Seahawks

The Raiders must think they play baseball. For the second consecutive game, Las Vegas earned a walk-off victory as they beat the Seahawks in overtime, 40-34.

Running back Josh Jacobs sealed the win with an 86-yard touchdown run on the Raiders’ second overtime drive, capping a wild afternoon of football in Seattle. Jacobs ended his day with an astounding 303 yards from scrimmage and two touchdowns; he’s just the fourth player in the Super Bowl era to accomplish that feat.

Here are the winners and losers for the week, as the Raiders delivered a painful blow to the Seahawks (6-5) and improved their record to 4-7.

Winner: RB Josh Jacobs

In every one of the Raiders’ victories this season, Jacobs has been a major factor. On Sunday in Seattle, that qualified as an understatement.

Jacobs was sensational, displaying skill that’s rare at the running back position. While his 86-yard game-winning burst was exciting, his first touchdown was a sight to behold. He jump-cut to his left, stiff-armed a defensive lineman, and sped his way to paydirt in stunning fashion.

By day’s end, Jacobs had one of the best games in NFL history. He also crossed the 1,000-yard rushing mark for the third time as a Raider, which is tied with Marcus Allen and Mark van Eeghen for the most such seasons in franchise history.

Jacobs is the last remaining piece from the Khalil Mack trade, and he is paying dividends for the Raiders. But will he stay in Las Vegas, as his contract is set to expire after this year? That question will be answered another day. For now, Jacobs is already one of the best running backs in Raiders history.

Winner: Maxx Crosby

The Raiders’ pass rush consistently bothered Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith, and when Las Vegas needed him most, defensive end Maxx Crosby delivered and brought Smith to the turf.

Crosby sacked Smith as the Seahawks were poised to take a late lead, bull rushing Seattle’s right tackle into Smith’s lap.

The Raiders had just tied the score at 34 with a TD pass from QB Derek Carr to tight end Foster Moreau, but there was still 1:54 on the clock. The game being as high-scoring as it was, it seemed a foregone conclusion that the Seahawks would take the lead and potentially win.

Crosby flipped that notion quickly, and the Raiders were back in business. He finished with four total tackles, a tackle for loss, 1.5 sacks, and six QB hits.

Winner: Denzel Perryman

Linebacker Denzel Perryman played an electric ballgame, displaying his Pro Bowl form from a year ago. He had nine total tackles, two tackles for loss, a pass breakup, and most importantly, an interception. Perryman’s pick set up Jacobs’ first touchdown run, which gave the Raiders a 21-13 advantage.

Winner: DT Andrew Billings

This was one of the Raiders’ best games in the trenches, and defensive tackle Andrew Billings led the way for the large Raiders on the roster. He had four total tackles, a QB sack, a tackle for loss, and two QB hits. He also helped force a 13-yard loss early in the fourth quarter with his penetration into the backfield.

Billings helped limit the Seahawks to just 65 yards on the ground. The Raiders’ big men on offense enjoyed their day, too. Jacobs had his historic game, and they blocked well as Carr threw for three touchdowns for the first time since 2020.

Loser: CB Rock Ya-Sin

While the Raiders defensive front had a quality performance, the secondary had a rougher go. Smith threw for more than 300 yards and earned a 106.6 QB rating. One of his triumphs came at the expense of Raiders cornerback Rock Ya-Sin, who allowed a touchdown in one-on-one coverage.

Ya-Sin’s coverage was solid initially, but he allowed WR Tyler Lockett to get plenty of separation when it counted. Ya-Sin also had a costly holding penalty on third down late in the game. It was a questionable call, but it helped the Seahawks score a touchdown and go ahead, 34-27.

He’s been fairly solid all season, but on a day the Raiders got torched for 34 points on defense, Ya-Sin’s bad moments stood out.

Loser: HC Josh McDaniels

While this was a big win for coach Josh McDaniels and just his fourth victory in Las Vegas, I have him on the Loser list. Why? It seemed the Raiders won this game in spite of him, at least to an extent.

From not trying for a touchdown late in the first half when there was time to do so, to his toss play on a crucial 4th-and-inches as the score was tied at 27, to his decision to try a 56-yard field goal in overtime rather than take a 4th-and-2 opportunity, McDaniels had his share of questionable choices.

Still, his team won. And to give McDaniels some credit, a Raiders victory didn’t seem a likely outcome early on. Carr threw an interception on the game’s first play, his first of two giveaways before halftime.

Plus, McDaniels’ offense triumphed as the Raiders allowed the most points they have all season. That’s mostly because he never went away from Jacobs, which McDaniels has done in multiple Las Vegas losses.

But the whole team stayed level-headed and came out on top. The Raiders took a while to find rock bottom, finally finding their low point after losing to the Colts. Since then, they’ve won twice in overtime on spectacular, game-ending plays, first from Carr and WR Davante Adams, and this week from Jacobs.

So while the Raiders apparently found their low point and gotten past it, will these last two wins be the best portion of their campaign? Or can they soar higher? We’ll soon find out, starting next week against the Chargers at Allegiant Stadium.

Story originally appeared on Raiders Wire