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Raiders Prematurely Celebrate Walk-Off Touchdown, Throw Interception in Red Zone

The Raiders pulled off one of Week 1's worst blunders in overtime on Monday night.

Michael Shapiro

Raiders Prematurely Celebrate Walk-Off Touchdown, Throw Interception in Red Zone
Raiders Prematurely Celebrate Walk-Off Touchdown, Throw Interception in Red Zone /

The Raiders staged a comeback victory over the Ravens on Monday night, but Las Vegas's win didn't come without its fair share of stress.

Derek Carr and Co. appeared to have sealed the contest with a 32-yard completion to receiver Bryant Edwards with 7:16 remaining in overtime. The pass from Carr to Edwards appeared to end the contest as a touchdown was originally ruled, leading to players and coaches alike embracing on the field. But the contest wasn't over just yet.

Carr ran a quarterback sneak on first down from the 1-yard line after a replay review, but he was stuffed at the goal line as he tried to seal the contest. The real trouble emerged shortly thereafter. The Raiders were flagged for a false start, and one play later, Carr tossed an interception in the end zone. What was sure to be a Raiders victory quickly evaporated after Carr's errant toss. 

The Ravens couldn't capitalize on the fortunate opportunity. Lamar Jackson coughed up his second fumble of the game on Baltimore's next drive, leading to a touchdown from Carr to receiver Zay Jones. It might not have been pretty, but Las Vegas earned a Week 1 win in wild fashion.

Perhaps Monday's Week 1 win can spur a strong season for Carr and the Raiders in Year 4 of the Jon Gruden era. Las Vegas enters 2021 after three straight years without a winning season, including an 8–8 campaign last year. Gruden is now 115–110 in his career as a head coach, including a 38–26 mark with the Raiders from 1998-2001.

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Michael Shapiro
MICHAEL SHAPIRO

Michael Shapiro is a staff writer for Sports Illustrated. He is a Denver native and 2018 graduate of The University of Texas at Austin.

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