Raiders Today

Las Vegas Raiders vs Atlanta Falcons Game Thread

Sports Illustrated's Raider Maven presents our weekly official game thread, updating you instantly from the Las Vegas Raiders versus the Atlanta Falcons.

Hondo Carpenter

The Las Vegas Raiders (6-4) are on the road today in Atlanta to take on the Falcons (3-7) in what is sure to be another test. 

The Falcons record is not impressive, but their roster is.  This team has experienced some genuine upheaval this season, but that doesn't mean they are dangerous.

Remember the rule of five. If the Las Vegas Raiders win that, games are over. For those who don't remember it, it has to do with sacks and turnovers. If the Raiders have three sacks and give up two, that means they are plus one. If they then get four turnovers and give up only one, that means they are plus three. That would give them a plus-four for the day. They want to get to a plus-five ratio every game. Teams that reach the rule of five scenarios win 91 percent of their ball games on average.

This season, Raider Nation Radio 920 AM has taken over as the flagship radio station for all Raiders games.

Brent Musburger is in the booth for play-by-play. His color analyst is former All-Pro tackle Lincoln Kennedy.

In addition, the Raiders have affiliate stations throughout the nation. Click on the link here for more details.

Please make sure that you constantly update this article for the latest from the Death Star.

Today's inactives:

Quarterback Derek Carr is pumping his team

Mercedes-Benz Stadium is ready.

COIN TOSS: Falcons win the toss. Atlanta elects to receive the ball in the first half.

START OF FIRST QUARTER:

PENALTY UPDATE: Holding called on Falcons tight end Hayden Hurst. 10-yard penalty. Remains first down.

INJURY UPDATE: Cornerback Damon Arnette is injured on the field. He walked off on the field of his power. He is getting looked at in the medical tent.

PENALTY UPDATE: Offside on Falcons. Five-yard penalty. Repeat first down.

INJURY UPDATE: Cornerback Damon Arnette is out of the medical tent and on his feet.

SCORING UPDATE #1: Placekicker Younghoe Koo with the 38-yard field goal through the uprights. Falcons up 3-0 with 8:26 left in the first quarter.

TURNOVER: Raiders quarterback Derek Carr fumbles the football. Falcons linebacker Foyesade Oluokun.

INJURY UPDATE: Officials call a timeout on the field. They send cornerback Damon Arnette off the field to get evaluated. 

SCORING UPDATE #2: Placekicker Younghoe Koo kicks a 39-yard field goal attempt. The kick is good. Falcons lead 6-0 with 7:06 left to go in the first quarter.

INJURY UPDATE: Raiders cornerback Damon Arnette is walking to the locker room. Cornerback Isaiah Johnson replaces Arnette on the field.

PENALTY UPDATE: Personal foul, lowering the head and initiating contact called on Raiders running back Josh Jacobs. 10-yard penalty. Remains second down.

INJURY UPDATE: Raiders cornerback Damon Arnette is on concussion protocol. Questionable to return.

INJURY UPDATE: Falcons wide receiver Olamide Zaccheaus is injured on the field. He is walking off the field on his own power.

TURNOVER: Safety Johnathan Abram intercepts the football. Ball on Las Vegas 38-yard line. 2:26 left to go in the first quarter. Falcons lead 6-0.

END OF FIRST QUARTER: Falcons lead 6-0. Raiders had the ball on Atlanta's 3-yard line. First and goal coming up.

PENALTY UPDATE: Holding called on Raiders left tackle Kolton Miller. 10-yard penalty. Remains second and goal.

PENALTY UPDATE: Illegal hands to the offense, offense right tackle Brandon Parker. 10-yard penalty. Remains second and goal.

SCORING UPDATE #3: Raiders placekicker boots a 29-yard field goal through the uprights. Falcons lead 6-3 with 12:59 left to go in the half.

INJURY UPDATE: Falcons wide receiver Olamide Zaccheus is questionable to return with a toe injury.

PENALTY UPDATE: Holding called on Raiders Nevin Lawson on the punt return. 10-yard penalty. First down Raiders.

PENALTY UPDATE: Passing interference called on the defense. Ball placed at the spot of the foul. First down Raiders.

INJURY UPDATE: Raiders Cornerback Damon Arnette has been ruled OUT of today's contest.

PENALTY UPDATE: Personal foul, facemask called on Raiders Nevin Lawson. 15-yard penalty. First down Falcons. This penalty negates the interception by linebacker Nick Kwiatkoski

TIMEOUT #1: Falcons take a timeout. It is a 30-second time out. 4:35 left to go in the half. 

INJURY UPDATE: Cornerback Trayvon Mullen is injured on the field. He walks off on his own power.

PENALTY UPDATE: Roughing the kicker called on safety Dallin Leavitt. The missed field goal is negated. Results in Falcons first down.

PENALTY UPDATE: Holding called on the Falcons. 10-yard penalty. First and 20 Falcons.

INJURY UPDATE: Raiders Jeff Heath is injured and slowly walking off of the field.

SCORING UPDATE #4: Wide Reciever Calvin Ridley catches a four-yard touchdown pass by Ryan on fourth down. PAT is Good. Falcons lead 13-3 with 2:17 left to go in the half.

INJURY UPDATE: Trayvon Mullen is questionable to return with an abdomen injury.

TWO MINUTE WARNING: Falcons lead 13-3. Raiders have the football.

PENALTY UPDATE: Pass interference called on Atlanta. Penalty declined.

PENALTY UPDATE: Neutral zone infraction called on Falcons defensive end Steven Means. Five-yard penalty. Replay first down.

BOOTH REVIEW: Ruling on the field stands. It was an incomplete pass by Raiders wide receiver Hunter Renfrow.

TURNOVER: Quarterback Derek Carr is forced fumbled by Tuioti-Mariner. Ball is recovered by Atlanta. 

TIMEOUT: Falcons take their final timeout of the half. 0:26 left to go in the half. Ball placed on Las Vegas 41 yard-line.

PENALTY UPDATE: Raiders roughing the passer called on defensive tackle Maliek Collins. 10-yard penalty. First down Atlanta.

SCORING UPDATE #5: Placekicker Younghoe Koo boots a 30-yard field goal through the uprights. Falcons extend their lead, 16-3. 0:02 left to play in the first half.

HALFTIME - Falcons lead 16-3 at the half. Raiders will receive the ball in the second half.

--

HALFTIME REPORT

The Falcons flipped the script in the first half.

Less common in the NFL nowadays, the Falcons won the coin toss and opted to receive the ball first.

The Raiders defense went straight to business after a couple of quick clean tackles by linebacker Cory Littleton and a deflection by defensive end Carl Nassib.

On the Raiders first possession, it was a slow start, as Falcons stuffed up the Raiders. On fourth and short, Las Vegas opted to go for it only for a pitch run by running back Josh Jacobs falling short of the marker, resulting in a turnover by downs.

The Falcons resulting drive resulted in a 38-yard field goal by placekicker Younghoe Koo.

On the following drive by the Raiders, quarterback Derek Carr fumbles the football, recovered by Falcons linebacker Foyesade Oluokun.

Once again deep in Raiders territory, the Falcons get the ball but fail to move the chains. Atlanta settles for another field goal, the score 6-0.

It didn’t get any better for the Silver and Black offense. Las Vegas had a three-and-out, resulting in a punt.

In the first half, the Raiders had 3 first down conversions.

Las Vegas also went 1-for-6 on third-down conversions.

Just when the Las Vegas defense started getting sloppy, allowing Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan to build momentum, cornerback Isaiah Johnson deflects the football into the hands of safety Johnathan Abram.

Going for it on fourth down on that said possession, this time, Carr connects deep down the edge with rookie wide receiver Henry Ruggs III for a 36-yard gain.

However, after a holding penalty on left tackle Kolton Miller and an illegal hand to the face call against right tackle Brandon Parker, the ball went backward 20-yards for a long second and goal.

After an initial fumble call on the field overturned after the replay, the Raiders settled for a 29-yard field to close the margin to three points.

After a couple of series resulting in empty drives, the Falcons got the ball back again, slowly working their way down the field.

Two turnovers by the Raiders were negated by two penalties. The Falcons went for a fourth and short and resulted in a four-yard touchdown reception by wide receiver Calvin Ridley.

It didn’t help on the next possession as Carr was forced fumbled, this time by defensive tackle Jacob Tuioti-Mariner.

Overall, it was a very struggling half for the Silver and Black. Las Vegas had 122 total yards compared to the Falcons 171.

Atlanta also has scored one touchdown.

With an opportunity to hit the reset button at halftime, the Raiders will have to play a drastically different game than the first half if they want an opportunity to win today.

The Raiders will receive the ball in the second half.

--

START OF THIRD QUARTER

PENALTY UPDATE: Holding called on Raiders Denzelle Good. The penalty is declined. Fourth down Raiders.

PENALTY UPDATE: Illegal formation called on the Raiders.

SCORING UPDATE #6: Linebacker Deion Jones with a pick-six. PAT is Good. Falcons now lead 23-3. 11:36 left in the third quarter.

INJURY UPDATE: Denzelle Good is injured and walking on his power on the sideline. 

TIMEOUT #1: Atlanta uses their first timeout of the second half. 8:21 left to go in the third quarter. Falcons lead 23-3.

SCORING UPDATE #7: Placekicker Daniel Carlson boots a 24-field goal for three points. Falcons lead 23-6 with 6:39 left in the third quarter.

PENALTY UPDATE; Illegal double team block on the Falcons. Half of the distance to the goal. First down Falcons.

TIMEOUT #2: Falcons take the second timeout of the half. It is a 30-second timeout.

PENALTY UPDATE: Pass interference called on Raiders cornerback Isaiah Johnson. First down at the spot of the foul.

PENALTY UPDATE: Defensive end Maxx Crosby gets called for roughing the passer. Half of the distance to the goal. First down Falcons.

INJURY UPDATE: Falcons wide receiver Calvin Ridley is injured on the field after the reception.

TIMEOUT #3: Falcons take their third and final timeout of the half. 2:06 left to go in the third quarter. Falcons lead 23-6.

SCORING UPDATE #8: Falcons wide receiver Brandon Powell catches a four-yard reception for a touchdown. PAT is Good. Falcons now lead 30-6. 2:00 left to go in the third quarter.

PENALTY UPDATE: Holding called on Raiders Kyle Wilber. 10-yard penalty. First down Raiders.

TURNOVER: Running back Josh Jacobs fumbles the football. The ball is recovered by linebacker LaRoy Reynolds. Ball is placed at Raiders 27 yard-line.

INJURY UPDATE: Running back Josh Jacobs is injured on the field. He walked off on his own power to the sideline.

END OF THIRD QUARTER: Falcons lead 30-6 with 15 minutes left to go. 2nd and 7 for the Falcons on the Las Vegas 13-yard line.

SCORING UPDATE #9: 29-yard field goal attempt by Younghoe Koo is good. Falcons extend their lead, 33-6. 13:34 left to go in the regulation.

TURNOVER: Quarterback Derek Carr is sacked, fumbles the football. The ball is recovered at the Raiders 35-yard line by linebacker LaRoy Reynolds.

INJURY UPDATE: Falcons left guard James Carpenter is injured on the field. He has been carted off the field.

SCORING UPDATE #10: Running back Ito Smith rushes eight yards for a touchdown. It's his first touchdown this season. PAT is Good. Falcons lead 40-6. 10:48 left to go in the game.

SUBSTITUTION: Raiders Quarterback Derek Carr is done for the day. Backup Nathan Peterman is on the field for Carr.

PENALTY UPDATE: False start called on wide receiver Hunter Renfrow. Five-yard penalty. Repeat third down.

SUBSTITUTION: Backup Quarterback Matt Schaub has is in for Matt Ryan.

SCORING UPDATE #11: Placekicker Younghoe Koo boots a 54-yard field goal through the uprights. Falcons extend their lead 43-6. 4:57 left to go in the game.

FINAL: Falcons win 43-6 on home ground. Atlanta improves to 4-7 on the season while the Raiders fall to 6-4. Raiders will play at the Jets next week.

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Hondo Carpenter
HONDO CARPENTER

Hondo S. Carpenter Sr. is an award-winning sports journalist who brings decades of experience to his role as editor and publisher, and beat writer for our Las Vegas Raiders and the NFL coverage. Carpenter is a member of the PFWA, FWAA, and USBWA.

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